


Saudade AU Stories

by phantomthief_fee



Series: Saudade AU Fanworks [3]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Originally Posted on Tumblr, Saudade AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2019-09-11 20:52:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 133
Words: 98,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16860106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomthief_fee/pseuds/phantomthief_fee
Summary: Stories written for Bornoffireandwisdom's Saudade AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BornOfFire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornOfFire/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Hopeful/Fearful (Saudade)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11808792) by [BornOfFire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornOfFire/pseuds/BornOfFire). 



So, I said I’d write a story where [@askthesaudadecharactersbatimau](https://tmblr.co/mFx0-NBGZnw4pz4-aJQ7lBA)‘s Trauma!Norman pets a cat

* * *

There was a friend of Susie’s who checked on Wendy every so often. Her name was Cordelia, and she and her brother Roy had helped to look after Wendy while Norman had been missing. Cordelia was the same age as Norman and perfectly nice. The Campbells kept Wendy fed and Cordelia came by occasionally to make sure Wendy was alright. Wendy didn’t know the older girl all that well, nor did she really want to. Cordelia was a reminder of the studio that had taken Wendy’s brother away from her. Wendy wanted nothing to do with her. So Cordelia stopped visiting. But when Norman was found, Cordelia started dropping by again. She’d heard that Norman was in a mental hospital and wanted to offer her assistance.

“You really don’t need to do anything,” Wendy said when Cordelia approached her. She still didn’t want to be near anyone from the studio, especially not after seeing what the studio had done to her brother. 

“Are you sure?” Cordelia asked. “Because I volunteer at an animal shelter and I thought some time with the animals might help him a little.” 

“Did you say…an animal shelter?” Wendy asked. 

A few days later, Wendy was driving her brother over to the animal shelter Cordelia volunteered at. Norman had been reluctant to get in the car, worried he’d be returned to the asylum, but when Wendy had told him they were going to see some animals he’d perked up. Cordelia was waiting when they pulled up. 

“Are you sure this is alright?” Wendy asked. 

“Yes. I asked and they said it was fine.” Cordelia assured them as she opened the door. “As long as no one gets hurt, none of the staff is objecting.” Wendy nodded and guided Norman inside. There were a number of different rooms, all filled with various animals. Norman immediately pointed to a room filled with kittens and started making whining noises. 

“Do you want to go in there, Normy?” Wendy asked. Norman nodded fervently. 

“Alright.” Cordelia fished out a key from her pocket and fitted it into the lock. “Be careful going in. They’re escape artists.” Wendy gently maneuvered Norman inside and backed out, her eyes already beginning to water. Norman sat down in the middle of the room. His face lit up as the kittens began to climb all over him. 

“Thank you.” Wendy smiled softly as she watched her brother pet the kittens. 

“I thought this would do you both some good,” Cordelia said, patting Wendy’s shoulder. 

They spent nearly an hour at the shelter, letting Norman mingle with the animals. By the time they left, Norman was falling asleep on his feet. Wendy thanked Cordelia again before taking him home. 


	2. The Projectionist

For [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) / [@askthesaudadecharactersbatimau](https://tmblr.co/mFx0-NBGZnw4pz4-aJQ7lBA)

They wanted a story based on Norman and I am delighted to deliver. 

* * *

Norman Polk had never liked the spotlight. As far as he was concerned, the less attention he got the better. Standing out had never been something that interested him. He just wanted to keep his head down and do his work. He didn’t want any trouble. Wendy depended on him and he needed to be there for her. He supposed some might be resentful of having to be the sole provider for their family so young, and sometimes he was, but he loved his sister more than anything in the world. Even though it was hard just seeing her smile made it all worth it. Things weren’t always perfect, they fought about as much as siblings always did, but both knew that when it came down to it they would always have one another. He treasured those moments when he would read to her at night. 

When he started working at Joey Drew Studios, he thought he might have finally found a safe, stable job. Most of the employees were nice enough people, and Henry was a competent and kind man. But then there was Joey Drew. Norman couldn’t explain why his boss gave him such a bad feeling. It was almost as though there was some kind of terrifying aura surrounding the wheelchair-bound man that only Norman could sense. No one else seemed to feel the malicious intent that Norman did, so he brushed it off as simply worry. After all, Henry wasn’t afraid of Joey and he’d been with the other man for most of his life. Norman trusted Henry, so he tried to bury his feelings about Joey Drew.

Then the nightmares started. That was when Norman knew he’d been right about Joey. Norman had long had visions of events to come and now his visions were telling him Joey was going to kill him. He became increasingly paranoid, to the point where people were concerned about him. He always told them he was alright, citing a laundry list of reasons for his strange demeanour. His excuses fooled his coworkers, but not Joey. He called Norman into his office one day and demanded the projectionist stop sneaking around. In that moment, just for an instant, Joey Drew’s facade dropped. What Norman saw terrified him. Joey Drew was a monster and the very worst kind at that. 

Norman knew he had to expose Joey, had to save everyone from the monster walking among them. But this wasn’t one of Wendy’s stories. He wasn’t a gallant protagonist who had the immunity granted by a writer’s pen. As the months rolled by, the realization slowly sunk in. He wasn’t going to get out of this alive. Joey’s exposure required his death. Was it a price he was willing to pay, he asked himself. Could he really leave Wendy alone? He had to, he concluded. This was about making a safer world for her and for everyone else. When he left his sister two days after Christmas, he knew it would be the last time he ever saw her. He could only hope she would be safe.

.

.

The woman who visited him was nice. She wasn’t like the other people in the White Place. The other people, all dressed in white, yelled at him or hit him. They were loud and made his ears hurt. The woman was always nice to him. Her voice was soft and she gave him presents and stroked his hair. He swore he knew her somehow. She was familiar. When he tried to remember, all that came to mind was static. So he didn’t try and remember. She’d told him her name was Wendy and that she was his sister. That made him happy, knowing he had family, knowing he had  _someone_  who cared about him. As long as Wendy was there, he was sure he’d be alright.


	3. Chapter 3

For [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) / [@askthesaudadecharactersbatimau](https://tmblr.co/mFx0-NBGZnw4pz4-aJQ7lBA)

A character study of their Joey Drew

* * *

Joey Drew had never understood emotions. As far as he was concerned, they were things that other people had. Having emotions had never been particularly appealing to him. Emotions made you weak, compromised. His father’s emotions towards his mother had always made the elder Drew weak. His father couldn’t even look at him because Joey reminded him of his late wife. Joey didn’t want to be like him. But Joey himself was weak, something the boy had cursed for as long as he could remember. He wanted to be able to walk, to be self-sufficient. He needed strength so he wouldn’t be like his father, like the people who bullied him, like those who succumbed to their emotions. People, in general, were useless to Joey. Merely pawns to be moved as he wished. He was far superior to them and he would prove it. 

But Henry was different. He wasn’t like the bullies or Joey’s father or even the servants at the mansion. Henry didn’t pity him or want to mock him for his weakness. Henry thought Joey was strong. Henry genuinely loved him. And so Henry earned a special place in Joey’s heart, a place no one else had ever possessed. Henry was no pawn. Henry was Joey’s equal, someone to be by his side forever. Joey would  _never_  let anyone take his best friend away from him.

Joey pretended he wasn’t jealous when Henry started spending time with the other members of their newly minted studio. Henry was  _his_. Joey didn’t share what was his. Not now, not ever. But he couldn’t isolate Henry without it seeming suspicious. So he let Henry mingle, all the while plotting the downfall of each and every employee who dared try to steal what was his. It would be easy enough to get rid of them. He could even make their deaths look like accidents if it came to that. No…Death was too good for them. They would suffer for their transgressions against him. 

When Henry left for war…It was like everything came crashing down around Joey. His best friend was leaving him. His possession was being taken away! For the briefest instant, Joey let his facade slip. He let Henry know just how angry he was that his friend was leaving. Unfortunately, this slip only drove Henry further away. Henry left that very day, packing up his things and beating a hasty retreat. Joey closed down the studio for a few days so he could recover. He took his frustration out on everything within reach, trashing his office. When that was over and he’d gotten his rage out, he began formulating a plan. He couldn’t take revenge on an entire war, but he could punish those who had filled Henry’s head with ideas about going off to war. His employees would pay. Every single one of them. 

Norman was the first to be taken care of. He was nosing around far too much and Joey couldn’t risk him actually finding out something that might ruin everything he’d worked for. Murray Hill was extremely helpful on that matter, taking care of nearly everything without Joey even having to lift a finger. It seemed the mechanic was useful after all. After that was Wally. He’d gotten on Joey’s nerves for the last time and the studio head had finally snapped. That one, Joey did himself. He took pleasure in seeing Wally squirm. Sammy, Susie, and the others followed in quick succession. The studio was closed down, but that didn’t matter anymore. He had bigger plans than a simple cartoon studio. 

He would get Henry back, he would make his creations live, and he and Henry would be together forever. They would be famous. Everyone would know their names and praise them. And if Henry didn’t want that? Then that was too bad. Henry was going to be a part of Joey’s dream, whether he liked it or not. 


	4. Drawings

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) requested Cordelia spending some time with the Polk Siblings and helping Norman with his drawing problem. So here we go~ 

* * *

Cordelia had become a regular fixture at the Polk household. She dropped by quite often to check on Wendy and Norman to see how they were doing and make sure they were alright. One day, however, she brought her brother with her. Neither Polk sibling had ever met Roy Bell before. Roy Bell was a rather imposing man given how tall he was. His thin frame made him seem a tad spiderlike, which was why Norman immediately dubbed him ‘the spider man’. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Cordelia said. “He wanted to come along to sketch.”

“To…sketch?” Wendy said slowly, a little taken aback by the man before her. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the large white burn scar covering most of the left side of his face. She tried not to stare, she really did.

“I’m taking an art class.” Roy held up a battered sketchbook. 

“Oh, um, alright.” Wendy stepped aside and allowed them in. Cordelia mouthed a thank you as she passed. Roy took a step inside and looked around. Wendy couldn’t help but feel as though she was being judged. Maybe that was just his face. Cordelia had gone over to see how Norman was doing. Currently, Norman was drawing. His latest picture was of him, Cordelia, and Wendy. And, as usual, he had scratched out his head. Cordelia tried to hide her distress at seeing that. 

“Hey, how are you doing?” She asked, settling down beside him. He smiled upon seeing her, pointing at his drawing. Then he looked up and saw Roy. Norman frowned, a little confused at the presence of this strange man. 

“Oh, this is my brother.” Cordelia gestured for Roy to sit down. Norman nodded slowly, looking a little distressed. 

“Did you ever meet my brother before this?” Wendy asked, sitting down on the other side of Norman. Roy shook his head, opening his sketchpad and beginning to draw. 

“I saw him at the studio, but we never formally met.” He said. “He always seemed like a nice kid.”

“He talked about you a lot.” Cordelia chimed in. “At least, to the people he trusted.”

“Fucking Joey Drew,” Roy muttered, a look of disgust passing across his face.

“Wait, are we allowed to use bad words around him?” Cordelia whispered. 

“It’s…Probably fine.” Wendy wasn’t sure if he actually absorbed any of it. More than likely, he’d heard a lot of terrible words at the asylum. Norman screwed up his face and continued drawing. For a few minutes, the room was completely silent.  

“Your drawing is very nice.” Cordelia eventually said, looking at Norman’s drawing. He’d added in Roy and labeled it ‘spider man’. Cordelia tried not to laugh but ended up giggling uncontrollably. 

“You better not be laughing at me,” Roy said without looking up. 

“Norman has dubbed you the ‘spider man’.” Cordelia managed to giggle out. 

“You’re not offended, are you?” Wendy asked, starting to panic a little. 

“Mm. Makes sense.” Roy shrugged. “It’s not the first time I’ve been called a spider. I think it might even actually be a positive thing this time.”

“Anyway, what are you drawing?” Cordelia leaned over to see the sketch. 

“Norman,” Roy replied. Cordelia and Wendy both stared at him. 

“Why Norman?” Wendy asked. 

“Thought if he had a good reference for himself he might stop crossing his face out,” Roy explained, continuing his sketch. 

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” Wendy’s expression softened.

“No problem.” The faintest smile crossed Roy’s face. It took him an hour or so to finish the sketch, during which Cordelia showed Norman and Wendy pictures of the new shelter cats. The sketch was a little rough, but it still looked mostly like Norman.

“Normy, Roy drew a picture of you.” Wendy nudged her brother gently. Roy held up the sketch so the former projectionist could see. Norman’s eyes widened. He pointed to himself then at the picture in wonderment. 

“Now you can draw your head.” Roy’s expression softened and he held the sketch out to Norman. Norman took it and held it as though it was something precious. He was smiling in the picture, looking calm and content. 

“It’s very nice.” Cordelia nodded. Norman slowly picked up his pencils again and began to draw. This time, his picture depicted just him and Wendy. When he got to himself, he paused and looked back at the drawing Roy had given him. Slowly, but surely, he drew his own head. Both Cordelia and Wendy had to contain their excitement. 

“Nice job.” Roy nodded approvingly. Norman beamed at everyone present, drawing some animals around him and Wendy. It was the little things that made them happy.


	5. Chapter 5

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: I just had a really funny idea! Do you think you could write a story where Coredelia has to watch Norman for a bit, because Wendy is getting a ton of groceries? It'll basically be like Coredelia is babysitting Norman. You don't have to write that if you don't want to, sorry if this was stupid. I just thought it would be a funny idea. 😆**

I’m more than happy to write it. In fact, here you are. 

* * *

 

Cordelia was rather surprised when a clearly stressed Wendy showed up at her door with Norman in tow.

“Would you mind looking after Normy for me?” Wendy asked, smiling tiredly. “I have a ton of errands I need to do and I can’t really bring him with me.” Cordelia was a little taken aback but stood aside so that Wendy could bring Norman in.

“I’d be glad to.” She said, forcing herself to smile. Wendy sighed in relief, turned to Norman.

“Normy, you’ll be staying with Cordelia for a little while.” She said, putting her hands on her brother’s shoulders. “Be good, okay? I’ll be back later.” Norman made whining noises as Wendy separated from him, closing the door as she left.

“It’ll be alright,” Cordelia said, putting a hand on Norman’s shoulder. He recoiled a bit from her touch, whining louder.

“Would you like to hear some music?” Cordelia asked. When she had upset students, she’d always sing to them. Generally, that worked. Given that Norman seemed to have the mentality of a child, she hoped it would work for him as well. She gently guided him to the living room, where the piano was set it. It was an old model she and Roy had bought from a flea market and it had a tendency to go out of tune a lot, but it was hers. Cordelia sat down on the piano bench and gestured for Norman to sit down next to her. Norman hesitated, shoulders hunching.

“Sit down whenever you feel ready,” Cordelia said. She set her fingers on the keys and began to play.

“Willow weep for me.” She sang. “Willow weep for me. Bend your branches green, along the stream that runs to sea. Listen to my plea. Listen willow and weep for me. Gone my lovers dream. Lovely summer dream. Gone and left me here to weep my tears into the stream. Sad as I can be. Hear me willow and weep for me.” Her voice was soft and soothing as she hit the keys. Slowly, Norman sat down beside her.

“Oh, Whisper to the wind and say that love’s a sin. Leave my heart a-breaking, and making a moan. Murmur to the night to hide her starry light. So none will find me sighing, crying all alone.” She continued, smiling gently at Norman. “Oh, weeping willow tree. Weeping sympathy. Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me. When the shadows fall, bend over willow and weep for me. Whisper to the wind and say that love is sin, to leave my heart a-breaking, and making a moan. Murmur to the night to hide her starry light. So none will find me sighing and crying all alone. Weeping willow tree. Weeping sympathy. Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me. When the shadows fall, bend over willow and weep for me.” Her voice started to waver near the end and she had to stop to compose herself. Norman frowned, scribbling on his sketchpad.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She said, trying to calm herself.

“Why are you sad?” Norman asked, looking genuinely concerned. He really did remind her of her students. She smiled softly.

“That song was Sammy’s favorite.” She admitted. “He taught me how to play it back when I worked at the studio.” Norman frowned, leaving the room and returning with the framed picture of the studio crew. He pointed to Sammy, standing next to Cordelia and himself.

“Yes, that’s him.” She nodded, smiling wistfully.

“Was he nice?” Norman asked.

“Most of the time, yes.” She nodded, stroking her thumb across the glass. “He did have a temper, sure, and he was bitter as Hell, but he was a good man.” Satisfied with this answer, Norman turned his attention back to the piano.

“What kind of song would you like to hear now?” Cordelia asked. “I know how to play a lot of songs.” Norman shrugged a little, focusing on his sketchpad. Cordelia closed the piano cover, looking over at him.

“What are you drawing?” She asked. Norman pointed at her, then at himself.

“Oh, how nice.” Without even knowing it, she’d slipped into her teacher persona. She sat beside him as he drew, commenting every so often on the drawing. One thing gave her pause, though. When Norman was drawing himself, he scratched out his head. Instead of a face, he had a blur of black lines.

“Norman? Why did you do that?” Cordelia asked. Norman didn’t answer, continuing in his drawing. Cordelia made a note to talk to Wendy about it later. The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. They played a few board games, Cordelia showed Norman some of the work of her students, and she told him stories. When Wendy came to pick Norman up, Cordelia pulled her aside.

“Why does Norman scratch out his head when he draws himself?” She asked. If this had been one of her students, she would have suggested the parent or guardian take their child to a psychiatrist or called child protective services. This sort of thing never meant good things.

“I don’t know,” Wendy said, glancing back at Norman. “I guess it probably has to do with that projector they took off his head.”

“Right, thank you. Sorry to bother you with that.” Cordelia immediately bounced back.

“Um, thank you for taking care of Norman for the afternoon.” Wendy decided to move on as well. “I really can’t thank you enough.”

“It was no problem,” Cordelia assured her. “I liked being around him again.” Wendy went and got Norman up, taking him out to the car. Cordelia waited until they were gone to let her smile drop.

“Joey, if I ever find you, I am going to slit your throat.” She growled, glaring at the studio portrait.


	6. Trauma Bonding

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) asked me to write another thing with the Trauma Siblings and Cordelia, so here goes~

* * *

It had been about a month since Cordelia had taken Norman and Wendy to the animal shelter. During this time, Cordelia had mostly left the Polk siblings alone. She didn’t want to intrude on their lives, understanding that Wendy was likely very busy. However, Wendy found herself seeking out the older woman. Cordelia was rather surprised when she opened her door and found Wendy standing there with Norman behind her. 

“I…I needed someone to talk to,” Wendy said. “Is this a bad time?”

“Of course not.” Cordelia stepped aside to let them come in. Norman immediately brightened upon seeing Cordelia, assuming they were going to see the cats again.

“No cats today, I’m sorry.” Cordelia smiled apologetically. Norman pouted, folding his arms and going to sit down on the couch. 

“Would you like some tea?” Cordelia asked. 

“That would be nice, thanks.” Wendy nodded. Cordelia went to make some tea. While the older woman was gone, Wendy glanced around the house. It was small but cozy. Wendy felt comfortable here. Norman was looking around as well, pointing at a picture and making excited noises.

“What is it, Normy?” Wendy asked, walking over. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the picture. It was a group picture of all the studio employees, standing in front of the studio. There was Sammy, Joey, Henry, Susie, Shawn, Thomas, Cordelia and…Norman. Her brother was there, smiling nervously in between Sammy and Henry. Norman made happy noises, pointing to himself. 

“Yes, that’s you.” Wendy forced herself to smile, even as tears began to well up in her eyes. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, should I have put that away?” Cordelia asked as she returned with the tea. “I can understand if it might bring up bad memories.”

“No, it’s okay,” Wendy assured her. Cordelia nodded and set the tea set down on the coffee table. 

“Would you like honey with your tea? Or do you take milk and sugar?” Cordelia asked. 

“I’ll just do it myself. It’s okay.” Wendy busied herself with making her tea. Norman tried to sneak a few sugar cubes, but Wendy gently pulled him away. Cordelia handed Norman a sketch pad and some crayons. Better to have him occupied. 

“So…What would you like to talk about?” Cordelia returned to her seat, folding her hands in her lap. 

“I just…Things have been really tough lately.” Wendy said. “I mean, it’s so nice to have Normy back but…”

“But he’s not the same person anymore.” Cordelia finished her sentence. “Yeah, I understand that feeling.”

“You…You do?” Wendy looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“My brother had an…accident years ago, and he’s never been the same since then,” Cordelia admitted. “So…I sort of know what you’re going through.” 

“Is that your brother?” Wendy pointed to a picture of a man on the table beside the couch. He was striking a rogueish yet dignified pose, leaning on a bamboo cane and tipping a boater hat to the camera. 

“That’s him.” Cordelia nodded. “He’s out right now. He works in a factory.” Wendy nodded, reaching out and taking Norman’s hand. 

“Can I ask what happened to your brother?” Wendy said. 

“He…It’s probably best we don’t talk about it.” Cordelia shook her head, pursing her lips. Her gaze landed on Norman and grew sad. 

“How much does he remember?” She asked. 

“Practically nothing.” Wendy squeezed Norman’s hand. “He…He didn’t even know who I was.” She could feel tears welling up again. Cordelia reached across the table to hold Wendy’s other hand. 

“It’s going to be alright.” She assured the younger woman. “Norman might not ever be the same again, but you have him back. He’s safe now. Joey can’t hurt him anymore.” Wendy nodded, taking a deep shaking breath. 

“Did you ever go back to the studio?” She asked. Cordelia’s face paled and she recoiled a bit, beginning to shake. 

“Once…” She said. “I stopped getting letters from Sammy and…” She shook her head quickly. “It was a mistake.”

“What did you find?” 

“Nothing good ever comes from that studio.” Cordelia murmured. Norman had looked up at the mention of Sammy’s name. He looked puzzled at the sudden change in atmosphere. His gaze went from Cordelia to Wendy and he frowned. He tugged on Wendy’s sleeve, holding up his sketchpad. 

“Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine, Normy.” Wendy forced herself to smile. 

“Is the cat lady okay?”

“I’m the cat lady?” Cordelia laughed softly. 

“Well, he only remembers you for taking him to the animal shelter,” Wendy said. Both women looked at each other and started laughing. It felt good to laugh for once. Wendy had been so on edge lately. 

“You’re not alone,” Cordelia said once they’d stopped laughing, touching Wendy’s hand again. “Everyone who lost loved ones to that studio is here for you. You don’t have to soldier on alone. We’re here to help.”

“Thank you.” Wendy nodded slowly, smiling despite herself. “I really appreciate it.” 

They talked for an hour or so, of better times and things they liked. Cordelia even played some music for the two of them. The music made Norman smile and he scribbled pictures of music notes and a man Wendy thought might have been Sammy. Eventually, Norman began to doze off and Wendy thanked Cordelia and took him home. All in all, it hadn’t been a bad idea to visit Cordelia, she decided.


	7. Chapter 7

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: I have a sad and sweet idea for a story! Do you think you could write Cordelia finding an old photo album with pictures of Norman and little Wendy in it? Then she tries to remind Norman of who he is? (Though sadly it's not that simple for him, but it would be sweet to see her try anyway.) Sorry if this sounds stupid, you don't have to write this if you don't want to, I understand.**

This got a little sad. 

* * *

 

Cordelia found herself babysitting Norman once more. She’d been avoiding the Polks a bit after what had happened the last time she’d been in the house. But Wendy had been called to work suddenly and Roy was on a trip, so she dutifully made her way over. Her heart was heavy as she let herself in and saw Norman on the couch. He was drawing, as he always seemed to be.

“Hello, Norman.” She settled down beside him, hands in her lap.

“Hi, cat lady.” Norman wrote on the paper. Cordelia couldn’t help but smile a little at the nickname. It really had stuck, hadn’t it?  Norman went back to drawing. He was drawing him and Wendy, with his head still scratched out. Her throat became tight and she had to look away. She decided to look around the living room. Eventually, she found a photo album. She opened it and started flipping through it. There were a lot of pictures of Wendy and Norman together, as well as them with various friends. Cordelia moved back to the couch, continuing to flip through the pages.

“Look, it’s you and Wendy!” She said, showing it to Norman. His eyes lit up and he pointed excitedly at the pictures of him.

“Yes, that’s you!” Her eyes lit up. Maybe she could make some progress with him. Maybe she could remind him who he was! She flipped frantically through the album until she came to a picture of the entire studio crew.

“Do you remember this?” She asked, showing him the picture. It had been the last picture the company had taken. Joey was the only person who was smiling in the picture.

“I had a panic attack that day, and you let me hide in the projection booth.” She smiled softly. “You always let me hide in the projection booth when I had panic attacks. Do you remember that?” Norman frowned at the picture and shook his head, trying to cover Joey’s face with his hand. He whimpered when he couldn’t make Joey’s face go away.

“He can’t hurt us, I promise. See? He’s gone. Cordelia flipped to a different page but kept her gaze on Norman. “Please, try to remember. You used to tell all of us about Wendy when we were on break. You loved her so much. And she adored you, we could all tell that. Please, Norman. You don’t have to remember the bad things about the studio, but at least remember the good.” Norman drew into himself, shaking his head and beginning to scratch at his arms. Cordelia sighed, forcing his arms down and repeating the breathing exercise with him. Once he was calm, she went back to looking at the photo album. She kept flipping until she came to one of a birthday party. Wendy was bent over a cake, blowing out the candles while Norman stood beside her. He looked so happy, so content.

“When was this taken?” She asked, holding it out to Norman. He frowned, running his fingers over the photograph. He sat there for a few minutes, just staring at it. Then he drew away, looking puzzled.

“Wendy’s your sister,” Cordelia asked. “Do you remember her? Do you remember what things were like before this?”

“Wendy’s a nice lady who took me out of the bad place.” Norman wrote, underlining it a few times. Cordelia’s expression faded. She looked tired.

“Right. Of course.” She nodded, closing the book and standing it up. She replaced it on the shelf, lingering by the pictures for a moment longer. Norman had been a good man. He didn’t deserve this. None of them had deserved what happened to them. Her shoulders slumped and she went back to the couch, collapsing bonelessly upon it. After a few minutes, she began to cry. Norman looked up, startled.

“I’m sorry.” She started to whisper. “I’m so sorry.” Norman moved closer, putting a hand on her shoulder and patting it awkwardly in the way he’d seen other people do. She was still crying when Wendy returned.


	8. Chapter 8

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey I had an interesting idea, could you please write a story where Cordelia is watching Norman? and something reminds him of the studio and he gets upset, so Cordelia tries to calm him down? Sorry I just love these stories, you're so good at writing Trauma!Norman. You don't have to write this if you don't want to though.**

Cordelia was watching Norman again. It was becoming a bit of a habit. Cordelia tended to come over every Sunday while Wendy ran errands. Roy wasn’t present this time, he had work, so it was just Cordelia and Norman. Cordelia was trying to take up knitting, so she tried to do this while Norman was drawing. She swore quietly to herself as she tried to disentangle the yarn from the knitting needles.

“How do people do this?” She muttered to herself. Norman looked up from his drawings. She forced a smile.

“Sorry.” She said. “Getting a little frustrated.”

“Do you need help?” Norman asked, tilting his head to the side.

“No no, it’s alright.” Cordelia assured him, still swearing quietly as she managed to untangle the yarn. They spent the next few minutes in silence, each working on their respective projects. Cordelia turned on the TV at one point, wanting some background noise. That was when a rerun of a Bendy cartoon came on. And there was Joey, smiling from the TV. Both Cordelia and Norman froze at the sight of his smug face. Cordelia ran to turn off the TV, but Norman was already panicking. He shrieked, curling in on himself and starting to tear at his hair. Cordelia retreated to his side. She tried to touch him, but he slapped her hand away. Cordelia could feel herself beginning to panic as well, but she couldn’t let herself panic. She had to help Norman.

“It’s okay.” She tried to assure him. “He’s not here.” Norman kept screaming, beginning to scratch at her arms. Cordelia grabbed his arms and forced them to his sides, looking him in the eye.

“Listen to me.” She said firmly. “Breathe. It’s going to be okay.” She demonstrated by doing so herself. Norman kept shaking, but he began to breathe as well.

“It’s okay.” She repeated. “We’re okay.” The two of them breathed together for a little while before Norman whimpered, crumpling into himself and starting to cry. Cordelia nodded slowly, feeling tears beginning to prick at her eyes as well. She let go of his arms and sat back.

“I’m sorry.” She said. “I’m so so sorry.”

Norman picked up his sketchpad and shakily wrote, “Why?”

“I saw him do this to you. I saw it happen.” Cordelia felt the tears begin to spill out of her eyes. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t do anything to stop it. I didn’t do anything to stop it.” She started to cry uncontrollably, burying her face in her hands. She couldn’t forget that scene no matter how hard she tried. Norman moved closer to pat her shoulder.

“It’s okay.” He said. Honestly, he didn’t understand what she was saying. He didn’t understand that she was saying she’d been there. He just knew that she was nice and she’d calmed him down without hurting him.

“It’s not.” She whispered. “I should have done something. I should have saved you.”

“Don’t be sad.” Norman held the sketchpad up with shaking hands. He didn’t want her to be sad. She was always smiling, always so nice. He wanted to make her stop crying. He scrambled off the couch and went to get one of the stuffed animals Wendy had given to him. He returned with it and presented it proudly to her.

“What’s this?” She asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

“For you.” He said. “To make you feel better.” Cordelia smiled softly, taking the stuffed animal.

“Thank you, Norman.” She said. “You’re very kind.” He just smiled at her and went back to drawing. For the moment, the crisis seemed to have been averted.


	9. Chapter 9

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey I had a funny story idea. Do you think you could write a story where Cordelia and Roy look after Norman because Wendy is out again, but then Cordelia gets called for work so then Roy is stuck watching him? Once again sorry if this is a stupid idea, you don't have to write if you don't want to. I understand. Also thank you for the last story, I loved it! Though like I said you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

I’m sorry this is short.

* * *

 

Roy was not in the best of moods. Cordelia had been called upon to watch Norman while Wendy was out, and his sister had dragged him along because apparently sitting around the house wasn’t good for him. Then Cordelia was called in for some kind of last-minute teacher business. He wasn’t clear on what it was and he honestly didn’t feel it was necessary for her to explain. Which left him with Norman. Roy didn’t have anything against Norman, not really. But the oldest Polk sibling currently had the mind of a child, and Roy didn’t like children. They tended to ask a lot of questions. Questions like, “Mommy, why does that man have that white stuff on his face?” Roy had never been fond of children, but his distaste for them had only grown once he’d gotten his scar. ‘Never work with animals or children’ and all that.

So now Roy was sitting opposite from Norman, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. Norman seemed perfectly happy to just draw away on his little sketchpad, thankfully. He was still crossing out the heads on his pictures, though. Roy supposed Norman had resisted the urge until they were all out of the room to make them feel better.

“So. How are you?” Roy asked, leaning over.

Norman flipped to a new page and wrote down a reply. “What happened to your face?”

And there it was. The question every single child he’d ever met asked him. Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to pull his hat down over his face.

“Workplace accident.” He said. “I don’t like talking about it.”

Norman nodded, writing something else down on his paper. “Did someone do something bad to you too?”

Roy’s expression softened slightly at that.

“No.” He said. “It was an accident. Really and truly.” Although it had certainly felt like Fate was playing some cruel trick on him. No one wanted to hire him after that. No one wanted a scarred leading man. He reached out a gloved hand towards Norman and the younger man froze. He looked very much like a scared child at that moment.

“I just want to draw,” Roy explained. Norman relaxed a bit, handing over some pencils and paper. Roy thanked him quietly and began to sketch. Soon enough, the face of his sister, younger and more innocent, emerged on the paper. Beside her was Sammy, also smiling but in a more sarcastic way. Norman looked up and pointed excitedly at the picture of Sammy.

“Oh, yeah, you knew Sammy,” Roy said. Norman nodded enthusiastically. He knew he’d known the man, even if he couldn’t remember him.

“I was pretty glad he wasn’t an asshole.” Roy shrugged and went back to drawing. “Dee admired him more than anything. I didn’t want to hate the guy.” Norman then pointed to himself.

“Hm? What did I think of you?”

Norman nodded.

“I didn’t know that much about you,” Roy admitted. “Dee always said nice things about you, though. I kinda felt for you, y’know? Big brother supporting his little sister and all that.”

“What do you do?”

“I used to be an actor.” Roy stopped sketching, staring at the picture. “I used to make people laugh.”

“You were an actor?” Norman’s eyes lit up. “Were you in any big movies?”

“No, nothing like that. I had bit parts and did a lot of stunt work.” Roy’s eyes had a faraway look to them, as though he was seeing something Norman wasn’t. “But for me, that was enough. I used to tell Dee she could be whatever she wanted to be because I made it. I was in the pictures!” For a moment, a spark of hope flickered in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “I was an idiot. Life isn’t fair. Dreams don’t come true.” Those words sounded so familiar to Norman and in the worst kind of way.

_Dreams come true…_

Norman began to shake, hands going to his head. He remembered a man saying that to him. He didn’t remember the man’s face, but he knew the man was bad. He whimpered, rocking back and forth. Roy quickly moved over so he was sitting beside Norman.

“It’s okay.” He said, his voice soft and soothing. “He can’t hurt you. You’re safe.” Norman turned and buried his face in Roy’s chest. Roy froze for a moment. Wait, no, he could handle this. Just do the same thing he’d done with Cordelia when she’d had her panic attacks. He patted Norman’s back, beginning to hum a lullaby their parents had sung to them when they were children.

“You’re very nice.” Norman wrote when he was done crying.

“I can’t say anyone’s ever said that about me before.” Everyone he’d ever met, save Cordelia because she was his sister, told him he was an insufferable asshole. He had a tendency to drive everyone away.

“But you are nice.” Norman insisted. “You made me a drawing and you sang to me. You’re a nice spider.”

Roy couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, I’m a nice spider.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent drawing together, with Roy taking breaks to read stories to Norman. When Wendy and Cordelia returned, they found their brothers tangled on the couch, both fast asleep.

“I knew he could do it,” Cordelia said.


	10. Chapter 10

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) requested some Stage 4 Henry and I am more than happy to deliver. 

* * *

He was losing himself. He could barely remember his name, how he’d gotten there, or who he even was. His mind felt fuzzy. He knew he needed to find someone. His friend? Or was the person his enemy? His memories were all jumbled up. Joey. He needed to find Joey. The name stayed clear in his mind even as he forgot everything about himself. As he stumbled through the hallways, ink dripped down his head and into his eyes.

 _“Henry~”_ A gentle voice called to him. The voice was so familiar, so sweet and kind. It was a man’s voice. Henry…Was that his name? Was he Henry? That sounded right. 

“Henry….” He repeated. “Is that me?” 

“ _Of course it is._ ” The man said. The man was important to him, he knew that much. He had to find this man. He had to follow him. Some deep primal urge told him to obey this man’s every command. 

“ _Come to me, Henry._ ” The man’s voice beckoned him. His feet began to move on his own, taking him towards the source of the voice.  No, he had to resist. This man was bad. He knew the man was bad. But the man’s voice was so sweet. 

“ _Henry~ Come on. Don’t you want to see me?_ ” The man sounded almost hurt. He started moving again, shuffling himself forward.  He wanted to see the man. He wanted to see Joey. He had to see Joey. 

“ _That’s right. You’re a good boy, aren’t you, Henry?_ ” Joey purred, his voice reverberating in Henry's mind.

“I’m a good boy,” Henry repeated dumbly. No! A voice inside of him screamed, trying desperately to fight back against Joey’s thrall. But Joey’s influence over him was already too strong. He couldn’t resist. The ink began to cover Henry’s entire body. His legs gave out from under him and he fell to the ground. Still, he continued to drag himself along. He had to get to Joey. Had to find Joey. Joey just smiled to himself in his office. Everything was going as planned.


	11. Chapter 11

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! Thank you so much for the Corruption Completed story! It was amazing! Though it gave me a cool idea, do you think you could write someone with stage 5!Henry and Murray? Like where he attacks him because he's got no power over him like Joey, and ends up infecting him? Because the idea of Henry being mindless to the point where he could infect others is a really cool idea! Sorry if that sounds hard or stupid though. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, I understand.**

Murray Hill had made a mistake. Joey had gone off somewhere else in the studio, presumably to deal with the other intruders, leaving Murray alone with the thing that had once been Henry. Murray had stayed away from Henry at first, not wanting to get infected. But, eventually, his scientific curiosity had won out. Perhaps some part of him still thought he could salvage this whole project. So he approached Henry cautiously. Henry didn’t turn to face him, simply staying where he was in his little puddle. 

“Fascinating,” Murray whispered, already getting out a tape recorder to take notes. “I’ve never seen it advance so fast and take someone so completely.” Henry’s head snapped around at the sound of Murray’s voice, and in an instant, he was on top of the scientist. Murray was taken by surprise, his recorder clattering across the floor as Henry oozed over him. Murray began to panic. He couldn’t get infected! He still had so much left to do! He could already feel the ink beginning to sink into his skin, though. Some had even gotten into his mouth. He could feel nausea already beginning to overtake him. 

“Oh dear, what do we have here?” He heard Joey roll back into the room. “Have you been naughty, Henry?” Henry slid off of Murray, leaving the scientist twitching and making small noises of shock and fear. 

“Oh, Murray.” Joey’s face appeared in Murray’s line of vision. “Well, we both knew this was coming at some point. You were never going to make it out of here alive. I leave no witnesses.” There was a cruel look in Joey’s eyes that didn’t quite match his sunny smile. 

“Help me.” Murray rasped. 

“I don’t think so.” Joey patted Murray’s head. “I look forward to having you be a part of my little family.”


	12. Corruption Completed

So, having [learned](http://queenofcats17.tumblr.com/post/170512559885/joey-what-are-you-hoping-will-happen-to-henry-do) [more](http://queenofcats17.tumblr.com/post/170513448335/but-if-henrys-a-searcher-wont-he-just-be-a) about what Joey wants, I decided to write a little more. 

Saudade AU belongs to [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA)

* * *

He’d finally done it. Henry was his. Joey held the inky creature that had once been Henry close to his chest. Henry groaned, his form pulsating slightly as he looked around with sightless eyes. He didn’t look like Henry anymore, not really, but that was less important. He resembled himself in the loosest sense. His silhouette was the same, and he still had a mouth and a rough approximation of hair and clothing. He was a special Searcher. He had to look different from the others so that Joey could tell him apart. Of course, Joey would have preferred Henry look like himself, but that hadn’t worked out. Henry tried to move away, feeling the need to rejoin the other Searchers. 

“Sssh. It’s alright.” Joey stroked Henry’s head, pulling him closer. “You’re going to stay here with me, okay?” Henry stopped struggling, recognizing the power Joey now possessed over him. Joey’s mind began to race, considering all the new possibilities. Maybe Henry could collect enough of his sanity to become like Sammy.  The idea of Henry worshipping him made Joey positively giddy. His friend would never leave him then. 

“Do you remember your name?” Joey asked, tapping Henry’s nose. Henry tilted his head to the side. 

“Your name is Henry.” Joey said brightly. “Say it with me. Hen-Ry.” Henry made a garbled noise that sounded a bit like his name. 

“We’ll work on it.” Joey smiled and nuzzled his face in the ink that comprised Henry’s hair.  He could be happy like this, he was sure of it. Now he had his friend forever. 


	13. Chapter 13

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had another idea, do you think you could write a story with Stage 4 or 5 Henry and the hive-mind? Once again sorry if this is early, I also couldn't get my ADD and Anxiety pills so I'm still having trouble thinking things through. Sorry if I'm bugging you, you don't have to write anything if you don't want to, I understand.**

I’m pretty excited for this. 

* * *

Life in The Dark Place wasn’t terribly pleasant. There were always voices screaming and everyone vied for whatever pieces of identity they could find. Sammy was somewhere in the sea of voices, fighting back all the others that tried to take his identity away from him. Henry had a vague feeling he’d known Sammy once, but he didn’t dwell too much on it. Henry was rather proud of himself for still knowing who he was. But then again, he only knew who he was because Joey had told him. He was Joey’s favorite, all of them could tell. The others in The Dark Place were incredibly jealous. They couldn’t steal Henry’s identity because of the protection Joey had placed around his favorite. 

“He’s a traitor.”

“He left us.”

“Why does he get to be special?”

They hissed and spat and tried to tear Henry down at every turn. They all knew he’d left them and they hated him for it. Why did their Lord love Henry so much?

“We mustn't question the word of our Lord.” Sammy chided them when they brought their concerns to him. “He may have once been a traitor, but he is one of us now.”

“It’s not fair.”

“He abandoned our Lord!”

“He’s one of us now,” Sammy repeated more forcefully. “Or would you go against His choices?” The others gritted their teeth and backed off. Joey controlled them. They would never go against him.

Henry was oblivious to the anger the others in The Dark Place held towards him. He lived only for Joey. He didn’t remember leaving, didn’t remember being angry with Joey. All he knew was that Joey was special to him and he could never do anything to harm him.

“You are blessed,” Sammy told him. “Our Lord has chosen you to have human form.” 

Henry said nothing, he couldn’t, but he felt a sense of pride at this. He was special. He was important. Joey loved him. All memories of his past life stayed away, which pleased Joey greatly. Everything was as it should be. 


	14. Chapter 14

> [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA): Well I thought it would be really cool if Joey caught Henry while he was in stage 4 and nearing stage 5 and Henry is pleading for Joey to make it stop, only for him to succumb to the corruption much to Joey’s pleasure. 

I’m doing evil hands, just so you know. I am excited for this. 

* * *

Henry limped along, one hand clutching his head and the other holding himself up on the wall. Every step he took dislodged some ink from him, sending it falling to the floor. It was getting hard to think. The ink had covered most of his body by this point, dissolving whatever was under it. He could hear the voices of the others who had succumbed to the ink beckoning him. They promised an end to his pain. They promised he’d be the most special of all of them. Joey had plans for him, they said. 

“Please, stop,” Henry begged, shaking his head. “I don’t want this.”

“But Henry, you’re becoming something wonderful.” Henry looked up abruptly at this. That voice hadn’t come from inside his head. It had come from outside. And, sure enough, Joey Drew sat in his wheelchair at the end of the hallway. 

“Joey!” Henry let go of the wall and tried to run towards him. Almost immediately his legs gave out, sending Henry crashing to the ground. His legs had turned to ink and he didn’t have the mental fortitude to control said ink. 

“Henry.” Joey purred, rolling closer. “It’s so so good to see you again. I do wish I didn’t have to do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“Pl-Please…” Henry begged. “Make it…stop.” It was getting harder to talk. His mind was clouding over as the corruption progressed. Unbeknownst to Henry, being closer to Joey meant the corruption progressed faster. Joey was the source of the corruption, after all. 

“Ssh, don’t fight it.” Joey cupped Henry’s face in his hands. “You’ll be so much happier if you just let go. It won’t hurt anymore.” The ink was beginning to swallow up every inch of Henry. Only the left side of his face was visible now. 

“Jo…ey.” Henry gasped out. “Please…Stop…it.”

“It’s too late for that.” 

And just like that, all of Henry was swallowed by the ink. Henry sunk to the floor, leaving a large puddle where he had previously been. 

“Now, don’t sulk.” Joey scolded him. The puddle quickly reformed into Henry’s shape. Joey smiled and gestured for Henry to come closer. The former animator obeyed, lumbering closer. Joey leaned up and wrapped his arms around Henry. 

“Oh, it’s so good to have you back!” He said. “There are so many things I want to show you.” Henry made a vaguely affirmative noise. He would never speak again.


	15. Chapter 15

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi sorry if this is early, but I had a cool idea. Do you think you could write something with Stage 5 Henry and Joey? I just think the way Joey interacts with Corrupted!Henry is really cool and interesting! Henry is so interesting when he's mindless in my AU! Sorry if this idea isn't that good, I haven't taken my ADD and Anxiety pills because I ran out of them. So I have even more trouble thinking before I do stuff.. You don't have to write anything if you don't want to, it's okay.**

Ooooh. This is pretty awesome. 

* * *

Loath as he was to admit it, the result of Joey’s plan was less than ideal. He had wanted to have Henry human and able to accept his love. But in reality, this mindless version of Henry was more to Joey’s tastes.  Henry wouldn’t run from him, he’d listen to everything Joey said. Joey didn’t want a human being, he wanted a slave. And now he had one. 

“I’m so glad you finally came back.” Joey sighed, arranging himself in Henry’s arms. Henry reformed his body so that Joey could be more comforting, making small moaning noises. Murray was out of the room, thankfully, so Joey could be as affectionate as he desired with the strange creature his best friend had become. 

“I missed you.” Joey nuzzled his face into the crook of Henry’s neck, disregarding the strange texture of the ink. Henry made a growling noise, wrapping his arms around Joey as he picked up on Joey’s latent thoughts. Joey hummed to himself. Yes, this was good. This was exactly what he’d always wanted. 

“I never gave up hope that you’d come back,” Joey said. “I always knew that someday you’d be mine,” Henry growled and patted Joey’s back. He was going through the motions of what he knew Joey wanted of him. Joey was perfectly happy with this. 

“And now you  _are_  mine.” Joey couldn’t help but giggle. “All mine. You’ll never leave me ever again. You can’t.” He laughed and burrowed closer to Henry’s chest.

“Sir?” Murray’s voice broke Joey out of his revelry. Joey’s expression darkened and he glared towards the doorway. 

“I’m having a moment, Hill.” He snarled. “What?”

“The young woman escaped.” Murray backed up a little. “But the boy is still here.” 

“Take care of it.” Joey waved a hand dismissively. He wanted to go back to being with Henry by himself. 

“Yes, sir.” Murray nodded and quickly fled. Joey huffed and went back to cuddling Henry. Henry leaned towards the doorway, making growling noises. 

“No, we still need him.” Joey gently pushed Henry back. “But you can have him later.” Henry relaxed back against the wall, letting Joey curl back up. 


	16. Chapter 16

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I came up with a cool idea with Henry and Annette. Do you think you could write a story where Henry is in stage 5 of the corruption and Annette runs into him, and at first doesn't realize that it's him until she gets a better look? Because Joey wanted to be able to tell Henry apart from the other searchers. Then Henry tries to attack her but she escapes before she can get infected? I just think it would be really cool, you don't have to write this if you don't want to. I understand.**

Oh, this is gonna be fun. 

* * *

Annette was determined to find Henry again. She didn’t care if he thought he was going to infect her. She was his friend and she wasn’t about to abandon him now. He was weird and she didn’t believe everything he told her, but dammit if he wasn’t a good friend. 

“Henry? You here?” She called into the darkness. “I know you said to run, but I don’t want to leave you!” He’d looked pretty rough before, too. She didn’t think he’d be able to keep himself together too much longer. Suddenly, she caught sight of a familiar silhouette in the darkness. 

“There you are!” She ran over, reaching out to grab his shoulder. It was only as she got closer that she saw what had happened to Henry. It was as though someone had made a doll of Henry out of thick, gooey ink. She could make out hair, facial features, and the rough outline of clothing, but it was all black and made of ink. 

“Henry?” Annette asked, taking a step back. The ink creature that was barely Henry at this point, turned around, rising up out of the puddle it had been wallowing in. It still resembled Henry, to a certain extent. It didn’t seem to recognize her, lurching forward on unsteady legs. 

“H-Hey,” Annette put her hands up. “Y-You wouldn’t attack me, would you?” The ink creature roared and jumped at her. Annette shrieked and stumbled backward, her back hitting a wall. Henry hit the ground and turned into a puddle before reforming into its Henry shape. 

“Henry, I’m your friend!” Somehow, she knew reasoning with him wouldn’t do any good. It hadn’t worked in the Empty Child and it probably wasn’t going to work here either. It wasn’t Henry anymore and there was no Doctor to fix the problem. 

“Henry, sweetie, what are you doing?” A young man in a wheelchair rolled into the hallway. He was rather nondescript in appearance, but something in his eyes deeply unsettled Annette. Henry backed up to stand beside the man in the wheelchair, almost like a pet protecting its master. 

“And who do we have here?” The man asked, a cruelly amused glint in his eyes. “You must be Annette.”

“That’s, uh, that’s me.” Annette nodded slowly. “Who’re you?”

“I am Henry’s one true love, Joey Drew.” The young man bowed grandly, or as grandly as he could while stuck in the wheelchair. 

“Oh.  _You’re_ Joey.” 

The distaste in her voice wasn’t lost on Joey, whose smile cracked a little bit. 

“What a rude girl, you are.” He clicked his tongue. “Oh well, that won’t matter soon.” He turned to look at Henry, cupping the creature’s face in his hands. “Henry, darling, eliminate her for me, won’t you?” Henry nodded slightly, turning its attention back to Annette. 

“Oh shit.” She whispered, then started running. She could hear Joey laughing and the slapping sound of Henry giving chase. She didn’t stop running until she was out of the studio, panting in the grass. 


	17. Chapter 17

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Sorry if this is a bit early, but I had another interesting idea for a story with Corrupted!Henry. Do you think you could write something where Henry doesn't attack Murray? And Joey left to check on the intruders, so while he's gone Murray tries to see if there's still a bit of sanity and free-will left in Henry but unfortunately Joey comes back? I think it would be really cool. Sorry if this idea is stupid, and sorry if I'm asking too early. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

It’s not a stupid idea, don’t worry.

* * *

Murray waited until Joey was gone to try and reach out to Henry. Apparently, the woman and child were causing some problems that needed Joey’s immediate attention. Joey frowned as the Searchers communicated the information to him. 

“They really aren’t going to quit, are they?” He muttered, wheeling himself to the door. He paused in the doorway and glanced back at Henry. 

“Henry, be a good boy for Mr. Hill, won’t you?” He cooed towards the thing that had once been Henry. Henry made a garbled noise. 

“That goes for you too, Mr. Hill.” Joey smiled at Murray before rolling away. Murray let out a sigh of relief and went over to Henry, kneeling down beside him. 

“Henry, can you hear me?” He asked. Henry turned towards him, making small noises. 

“Henry, hold up one hand if you can hear me.”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, Henry lifted one hand into the air. Murray sighed and smiled shakily. 

“Okay.” He nodded. “Henry, is there anything I can do to help you?” The creature looked at him and for a moment, Murray could almost swear he saw Henry’s face in the inky monstrosity. 

“Kill…me…” Henry rasped. “Save….them…” 

“I’ll…I’ll do my best.” Murray nodded. He nearly reached out and took Henry’s hand, but thought better of it. He didn’t want to get infected himself. Henry sunk into the ground, satisfied with this. Murray wasn’t sure how to kill Henry, but he was going to try. He found some acetone and was prepared to pour it over Henry. Joey, however, had other ideas. 

“Murray…” Joey rolled back into the room, his voice soft and dangerous. “What are you doing?”

“N-Nothing.” Murray tried to hide the acetone but it was too late. Joey had seen it. Joey smiled slowly, his eyes flashing brightly in the dim lighting. 

“You weren’t going to take Henry away from me, were you?” Joey rolled closer, tilting his head to the side. Murray’s shoulders slumped. There was no use in denying it. 

“He wants death, sir,” Murray said. “He doesn’t want to live like this.”

“I don’t care what he wants!” Joey snapped. “He’s mine and he’s going to stay mine!” He banged his fist on a table and the Searchers jumped. Joey smiled wide, teeth clenched. 

“I think it’s time for you to go, Mr. Hill.” He seethed. Then the Searchers attacked. 


	18. Chapter 18

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: I just had the most adorable idea! Could you please write a story where Trauma!Norman and Trauma!Wendy, along with Cordelia and Roy go to an amusement park? You don't have to write this is you don't want to, I understand.**

Roy hadn’t been to an amusement park since he was a child. This didn’t particularly bother him. He didn’t like crowds nor heights. So why did he now find himself walking into one right at this moment? Because he couldn’t say no to his sister. Wendy had invited Cordelia along for some support because she didn’t want to take Norman to the park on her own, and in turn, Cordelia had dragged Roy along. He needed to get out, she’d said. He’d resisted at first, not wanting to go to a place where there would be so many people, but she’d given him that pleading look and he’d just crumbled. So here he was, dressed in his Sunday best, leaning heavily on his cane and limping along behind the others. Norman was looking around in wonderment. He kept pulling on Wendy’s sleeve, pointing at everything and anything. He was so excited. Roy looked around, trying not to notice all the people looking at him.

“Normy, slow down!” Wendy sighed as Norman tried to run ahead towards the cotton candy booth.

“It’s great to see him so excited,” Cordelia said, staying at Wendy’s side.

“It honestly reminds me of the first time we went to Coney Island,” Wendy admitted. “Although back then I was the one running around like this.”

“The first time we went to an amusement park, Cordelia spent half the time glued to my leg,” Roy said, strolling behind them with a wistful smile on his face.

“I was a shy kid.” Cordelia’s cheeks were tinged pink and she laughed nervously. Norman directed their attention away from the topic by pointing at the cotton candy stand and making a whining noise.

“Normy, you’ll spoil your dinner.” Wendy tried to scold him but he was turning the puppy eyes on her.

“I got this.” Roy pulled out his wallet and bought two cotton candies, handing one to Wendy and the other to Norman.

“You really didn’t need to.” Wendy started to say.

“Think of it as a thank you,” Roy said. “For putting up with me whenever my sister drags me over here.” Norman tore into the cotton candy without abandon, his eyes lighting up once the sugar hit his tongue. He made happy noises, pointing at the cotton candy and grinning. Wendy smiled back, holding his hand.

They went on a few roller coasters, although they learned quickly that Norman DID NOT like roller coasters at all. After that, they went on the carousel a few times and played a lot of carnival games. Norman and Roy sat at the tables while their sisters played the games. Wendy had won a few stuffed animals that Norman clutched happily to his chest.

“Do you know why I agreed to come here today?” Roy asked, opening his beer and taking a swig. He immediately wrinkled his nose at the taste but kept drinking. Norman shook his head.

“It’s because I love my sister,” Roy said. “More than anything else in the world.” He smiled softly in the direction of Cordelia, who was trying desperately to win at a carnival game with Wendy.

“You might not remember Wendy, but I know you love her too.” Roy continued, turning his attention back to Norman. “And I know she loves you too. I want you to remember that. No matter what happens, Wendy will always be there for you.” Norman nodded slowly, hugging his stuffed animals. Then he lifted his hands and awkwardly began to sign. Wendy had been trying to teach him sign language lately so that he could ‘speak’ without his sketch pad.

“Thank you.” He said, giving Roy a big smile.

“You’re welcome.” Roy smiled back.


	19. Chapter 19

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: I loved the story you made with Henry nearing stage 5 it was so awesome!! I'm currently trying to write something with Stage 4 Henry and Annette, but I'm not sure if it's that good just yet.. do you think you could try writing a confrontation scene with them? Your stories are always so amazing, and I'd love to see how you would do it! You don't have to if you don't want to though! Sorry if I've been asking too much of you as well. Sorry if this was a stupid thing to say.. I'm a bit of an idiot.**

Sweetheart, don’t beat yourself up. I love getting prompts from you! I’d be happy to write this.

* * *

He could barely remember his name when he stumbled upon her. The voices in his mind told him she was an outsider, not to be trusted. 

“Ah!” She shrieked when she saw him, before smiling shakily. “Geez, you scared me, Henry! Where’ve you been?” She talked like she knew him. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. 

“Are you okay?” She took a step towards him but he stuck his hand out. 

“D-Don’t come any closer.” He managed to rasp out. “You’ll get infected too.”

“Infected?” The woman frowned. “Come on, Henry, this isn’t a zombie movie.”

“I’m serious!” The voices screamed to tackle her to the ground and make her one of them. “If the ink touches you, it’ll infect you.”

“Like the Empty Child.” The woman said. He didn’t understand the reference, but something told him he wouldn’t have understood it even if he hadn’t been losing his mind. 

“You need to get out of here.” He was practically begging her. His control was waning. His hands opened and closed, longing to fasten themselves around her throat. 

“I’m not just going to leave you.” She took a step towards him again. “Especially not since Vincent’s here too.” He tried to wrack his mind for her name so he could plead more effectively, but his thoughts were too jumbled. He couldn’t piece anything together. He groaned, leaning against the wall and holding his head. 

“Henry-”

“GO!” He roared, the ink quickly spreading across his body. The woman backed up, her eyes wide. 

“ _She doesn’t belong here._ ” Joey’s voice rang in his mind. “ _Get rid of her._ ” He lurched forward, hands outstretched. The woman screamed and ran away. He gave chase but quickly lost her. She moved quite a bit quicker than he did. Everything was dulled now. He wanted to find Joey, wanted to be near him. Maybe that would make everything clear. 

.

.

Annette ran until she couldn’t run anymore. She collapsed against a wall and started to sob uncontrollably. Henry hadn’t been lying, had he? God, this was so far out of her depth. She just wanted to find Vincent and go home. Maybe everything would be alright then. 

“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t leave Henry.” He was a weird guy and she didn’t believe everything he told her, but he couldn’t just abandon him here. He was her friend and friends didn’t leave each other behind. She wiped her tears away and got up. 

“Alright. I can do this. Just think of what the Doctor would do.” She tried her psyche herself up. Then she set off into the studio. 


	20. Chapter 20

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: Can you do another one with Stage 5 Henry becoming Lucid? This time he's by himself and near a door, but he slips back under before he can leave.**

Henry found himself coming back to reality once more by the door that led to the outside. It was happening more and more, something that frustrated Joey beyond belief. Henry had been passing the door and was suddenly struck by a vision of a woman and a child he didn’t immediately recognize. He found himself beginning to cry. 

“Annette.” He whispered. “Vincent.” He collapsed to the ground as he remembered that he’d tried to attack Annette. He’d tried to infect her. He began to sob, burying his face in his hands. He could only hope that she had escaped with Vincent. They deserved to escape. They shouldn’t be dragged down with him. 

“What have I done?” He asked no one in particular. It was then that he realized how close he was to the exit. He turned to the door, an idea forming in his mind. He could escape. He could get out. But would that really be the best course of action? He might infect other people. He might spread Joey’s influence to others and he didn’t want that. He wanted to keep others safe. He reached for the door with an inky hand, trying not to gag at his appearance. His hand closed on the doorknob and he stood there, his entire body shaking.

_Where do you think you’re going?_

And just like that, Henry’s sense began to fade. He was dragged back into the Dark Place, back into the screaming well of voices, back into Joey’s control. His hand came away from the knob and he turned away, disappearing into a puddle. His mission was forgotten. 


	21. Chapter 21

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have a really cool idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 5 Henry and Annette, where he tries to attack her except this time Murray shows up and saves her. Only to be infected himself giving Annette time to escape? Sorry if this idea is stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want too.**

Despite her better judgment, Annette was heading back into the studio. She didn’t want to leave Henry behind. Hopefully, he’d be feeling better when she next saw him. She didn’t think she could dodge another attack from him. 

“Henry!” She yelled, heading tentatively back inside. “Please don’t kill me this time!” There was no response, so she started looking. She crept along the hallways, jumping at every creak of every board and every drop of ink. Her presence was immediately noticed by Joey. 

“She just doesn’t know when to quit,” Joey muttered. “Henry, take care of her.” Henry nodded, disappearing into the floor. He appeared behind Annette, rising up out of an ink puddle. He growled and launched himself at her. Annette barely had time to react. She put her arms up to protect herself, bracing for impact. But someone got in between the two them, tackling Henry to the ground. 

“Oh my God.” Annette gasped. 

“Are you alright?” Her savior asked. He was a small man in a lab coat who was now covered in ink. 

“Yeah…Thanks.” She smiled shakily. “Are you okay? You didn’t get…infected, did you?” A grim expression passed across the man’s face. 

“I…I likely am.” He sighed and stood up. 

“Geez. I never even got your name.” She hunched her shoulders a bit. 

“It’s Murray. Murray Hill.” He held his hand out for her to shake, then thought better of it. “I, unfortunately, worked for Joey.”

“So you helped do this to Henry.” Annette’s gaze sharpened. Murray nodded, looking away. 

“It was a mistake.” He said. Well, at least he was willing to admit it. 

“…Thanks for saving me.” She said after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. 

“You’re welcome.” He replied. “You should really get out though.”

“But Henry-”

“Henry can’t be saved.” Murray cut her off. “And neither can I. The best thing for you to do would be to run and never look back.” Annette hunched her shoulders. She didn’t want to just abandon Henry. There had to be some way to save him.

“I’ll find a way.” She stared Murray defiantly down. “I’m going to save him.”

“Good luck.” He gave her a sad smile. Then she turned and ran. 


	22. Chapter 22

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I came up with a cute and silly story idea! Do you think you could write something with Trauma!Norman and Cordelia? Like where he catches a cold again but this time Wendy has to work so Cordelia has to look after him again? Sorry if my idea is kind of stupid.. you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

It’s not a stupid idea. 

* * *

Cordelia was no stranger to taking care of fussy sick men. Well, one fussy sick man to be specific. Since the death of their parents, she was the one who had been in charge of taking care of Roy when he was sick. Roy was incredibly dramatic when he was sick and she’d gotten used to listening to him complain that he was dying and his refusal to take his medicine. Which was why she didn’t bat an eye when she was asked to take care of a sick Norman Polk. Wendy had to work again so she’d called Cordelia in. 

“You better not get sick,” Roy said as she got ready to leave. “I don’t want to get sick.” It was an unspoken truth that if one of them got sick, they both got sick. 

“I’ll do my best.” She replied dryly. 

Once Cordelia arrived, she was immediately greeted by a haggard looking Wendy. She had a stain on her shirt that looked rather like chicken soup. 

“Thank you so much for this,” Wendy said as she showed Cordelia in. “I wish I could stay to take care of him, but I have work and-”

“I understand,” Cordelia assured her. Wendy thanked her again and went to go get changed. Cordelia took off her coat and headed into the living room. Norman was wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, looking very displeased. 

“I hear you’re not feeling well.” Cordelia settled on the couch next to him. Norman just sniffled, hugging his blankets closer to his body. 

“He needs to take his medicine.” Wendy stuck her head in. “I’ve been trying to get him to take it for nearly an hour now. I’m really sorry to leave you to do this.”

“It’s alright. I’m used to it.” Cordelia turned to Norman. He narrowed his eyes, scooting back. 

“You’re taking your medicine.” She said firmly. Norman shook his head fervently, making angry little noises. Wendy put the medicine on the table, kissed Norman’s head, and flew out the door. Cordelia picked the bottle up, pouring out a good amount into a spoon. Norman hunched his shoulders, burrowing into his cocoon. 

“Norman.” Cordelia held the spoon out, her voice gentle. “This will make you feel better. I promise.” Norman glared at her, scooting back even further. 

“Norman.” 

Norman made an upset noise, turning away from her. Cordelia sighed. 

“Would you take it if I promise to give you ice cream afterwards?”

This got Norman’s attention. He turned back to her, his expression wary. Cordelia smiled sweetly, holding the medicine out. Norman leaned forward, sniffing at the medicine. His nose immediately wrinkled and he recoiled. 

“I know it tastes bad, but it’s good for you,” Cordelia said. “And you’ll get ice cream if you take it~” Norman considered this for a few moments. Then he took the medicine. As soon as it hit his tongue, he started whimpering and shaking his head. 

“Good. Now, let me get the ice cream.” Cordelia got up and went to the icebox to retrieve the ice cream. She came back with a bowl of ice cream and presented it to him. Norman was wary to accept the ice cream, but he eventually did. Soon, he was happily munching away at the confection. 

“There we go.” Cordelia smiled and sat back. 

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful. She did end up getting chicken soup spilt on her after Norman burned his tongue on the soup though. She didn’t mind that as much, since Roy had once upended an entire punch bowl on her head once. She was used to getting things spilt on her. 


	23. Chapter 23

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey I had an interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story where Murray is writing in his journal about the experiments, and while he's not paying attention Stage 5 Henry tries to attack him but luckily Murray doesn't get infected and gets away? You don't have to write that if you don't want to, I just thought it would be a cool idea.**

Murray wasn’t always the most observant of people, especially when he was taking notes about his experiments. In retrospect, he should have known to be more careful around the newly transformed Henry. In his new state, Henry saw everyone but Joey as a threat. Joey had stepped out of the room for a few minutes, leaving Henry alone with Murray. Murray was muttering to himself and jotting down notes in his journal. Before he knew what was happening, Henry was jumping towards him. Thankfully, the former animator’s movements were still clumsy and sluggish, allowing Murray to dodge the attack. 

“What the Hell?!” He sputtered. His yelling agitated Henry even more and he tried to attack once more. 

“Henry! Bad boy!” Joey’s voice stopped Henry cold. He backed off, dripping his way over to stand beside Joey. 

“You can’t just go attacking my little scientist like that.” Joey cooed to Henry, patting his head. “I still need him.” 

“Thanks,” Murray said dryly. 

“Don’t get cute with me. You knew you were expendable the second you started working for me.” Joey turned his attention to Murray. He was smiling, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Yes, sir.” Murray nodded quickly. He moved to leave the room in order to finish his notes, but Joey stopped him. 

“I do hope you won’t get any ideas about trying to escape,” Joey said, his smile turning dangerous. “You belong to me now, just like everyone else in the studio. No matter where you go, you can never escape me.”

“O-Of course, sir.” Murray gulped and pushed past him. He ended up in the break room, shaking so hard he could barely write. 

“What have I done?” He whispered.


	24. Chapter 24

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: Can you do a thing for that corrupted AU where a stage five Henry becomes lucid for just a little while? Joey is there and pulls him back while Henry tiredly struggles to stay awake.**

Ooooh~ This is really cool. 

* * *

Joey was in Heaven. He finally had everything he’d always wanted. Henry would never leave him ever again. Unfortunately, Henry still seemed to be fighting Joey’s control, as he had brief moments of lucidity. One such moment came during one of Joey’s daily cuddle time with the thing that had once been Henry. Joey was snuggled up to Henry’s chest, stroking Henry’s face. Suddenly, Henry jolted forward, knocking Joey to the ground. 

“Henry!” Joey picked himself up as best he could, glaring at his friend. Henry looked…different. There was a shimmer of clarity in his singular white eye. 

“Help…me.” Henry managed to rasp out. “I…Don’t…Want this.”

“Of course you do.” Joey moved closer, holding Henry’s face in his hands. “You’re mine, Henry, don’t you forget that.” He smiled, a cruel expression, and kissed Henry. Henry struggled to keep his thoughts together, to pull himself from the muck. But each moment he felt himself sinking further and further into the ink. It was so cold he could barely think. 

“Be a good boy for me, won’t you?” Joey purred, pulling away. “Remember, you belong to me.” 

“I…don't.” It was getting harder to keep himself together. His eyelid was fluttering. He was so tired. It would be so easy to just go to sleep, to give in to Joey’s control. But he didn’t want to. He had to fight it. 

“Henry,” Joey whined. “We were having such a nice moment before.” Henry fell forward but Joey held him up, forcing him against a wall. He held Henry in place as his former friend struggled weakly. The voices urged Henry not to fight it, to come back to them. They promised he’d be able to sleep. 

“Don’t fight it. It’s easier to just give in.” Joey said. “I’ll keep you safe, Henry. I promise.” Henry could feel himself beginning to give in. He just wanted to sleep. He wanted it to stop. Joey felt Henry’s body relax. He smiled and cuddled up to Henry again. 

“Who’s a good boy?” He asked. Henry made a vague grunting noise. Joey laughed softly. 

“That’s right. It’s you~”


	25. Chapter 25

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had a really cool idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 4 Henry and Sammy? Like sort of where he is kind of taunting Henry because he knows that Henry can't fight off the corruption? I think it would be really cool, though you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

I will do this. 

* * *

Sammy’s day had been thus far uneventful. He’d heard Henry had returned to be enfolded in His flock, but the prophet had yet to see the effects of the corruption on the traitor. Honestly, the thought of seeing Henry mewling and helpless excited Sammy. He wanted to see Henry suffer for abandoning all of them. After all, Sammy himself was in a living Hell. He hummed to himself as he set up another Bendy cutout. This would please his lord, he was sure of it. 

“Sammy?” Sammy paused. He recognized that voice. He turned around slowly, a cruel smile playing on his lips once he saw who it was. 

“Well well well.” He laughed. “Look who finally returned to us.”

“What happened to you?” Henry asked. He was leaning heavily against the wall, unsteady on his feet. The ink covered a good portion of his body, so the corruption seemed to be rather far along.

“The same thing that’s happening to you,” Sammy said. He saw how Henry’s eyes widened at this and laughed. 

“You’re going to be one of us.” Sammy sneered. “How does it feel? Knowing you can’t escape the people you abandoned.”

“I didn’t abandon you!” Henry tried to walk to Sammy but ended up falling over and into a puddle of ink. Sammy’s smile only widened. The corruption would definitely speed up with this.  Henry gasped, the ink getting into his mouth. 

“It’s s-so cold.” His teeth chattered. “W-Why is it so cold?”

“That’s the nature of the ink.” Sammy knelt before the former animator, pushing his mask up so Henry could see him smiling. 

“Please, help me,” Henry begged. “I don’t want this.”

“None of us do!” Sammy snapped. “But once it’s begun, there’s no way I know to stop it.” 

“I don’t want this!” Henry repeated, trying to get up. His arms collapsed under him, already having turned to ink.

“Did you not hear what I just said? None of us do.” Sammy would have rolled his eyes, had he still possessed them. “But you’re lucky. You’ll be a special case. Our Lord has already chosen you to be his guard, his one and only.”

“I-I’m not interested in Joey that way.” Henry managed to stammer out through his chattering teeth. 

“That will change.” Sammy waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t remember thinking favorably of our Lord as a human, but now I see he was always worthy of my respect.”

“But he d-did this to you!”

“And he can undo it if I do his bidding.” Sammy tapped Henry’s nose. “You’ll learn to respect him, in time. We all do.” Henry tried to get out a retort, but the ink had covered his mouth. He was sinking into the puddle, dragged down by the others and by Joey’s will. Sammy righted himself and waved. 

“I’ll see you soon, Henry.”


	26. Experiments

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) requested a story where Cordelia walks in on Joey experimenting on Norman. So here goes. 

[Here’s](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F11842191%2Fchapters%2F27792618&t=Zjg2ZjZmNDEwMDNlOGI0YzJjMjUyM2JhMjI3NTVhYWQ5MmIxZTkxYyxETTRaemFWRw%3D%3D&b=t%3Abf1mUcY3jG5LyWt2YecXMQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fqueenofcats17.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F171394847655%2Fexperiments&m=0) how it originally went down for Cordelia. 

* * *

Cordelia stood at the bottom of the music department stairs. Today was the day she was going to do it. She was going to tell Joey she was quitting. She’d rehearsed this conversation a million times in her mind. Roy had managed to land a job at a factory, money wasn’t so tight anymore, and she wanted to go back to school so she could be a teacher. It wasn’t an excuse, it was the truth. He couldn’t tell her she was lying. He couldn’t possibly know she was afraid of him. She should have done this sooner, though. It was getting late. Most everyone had gone home by this point. She’d avoided it as long as she possibly could, and now she was forced to face her boss with the knowledge that no one would be there to back her up if he went homicidal. She took a deep, shaking breath and ascended the stairs. The lights were out when she got upstairs. She could feel a lump of fear developing in her stomach, ice cold while the rest of her body felt hot. Her legs shook as she inched towards Joey’s office. His radio was on. That was a good sign. 

“Mr Drew?” She knocked tentatively on his office door. “I need to speak with you.” But there was no response. She frowned, and was about to open the door when she heard what sounded like faint yelling from the direction of the ink machine room. 

“Hello? Is someone there?” No one was supposed to be in the machine room this late. Joey always yelled at everyone for going in unsupervised. Despite her better judgment, Cordelia approached the room. The light was on and the ink machine seemed to be humming away. Someone was also humming rather loudly, while someone else made pained noises. Immediately, Cordelia knew she shouldn’t be here. She could just leave. But someone was in trouble. So she entered the room. When she entered, she saw two things. One was Joey with a film reel and a scalpel, and the other was Norman strapped to a table. He had wires fused to his skin, and there was a chunk cut out of his shoulder. A scream died in her throat. She stood rooted to the spot as Joey looked up. 

“Oh, Cordelia.” Joey shook his head and smiled wistfully. “You really shouldn’t have stayed so late.” Her breath came in quick gasps as tears began to well up. Joey really had lost it, hadn’t he? Norman looked over at her, his expression panicked and pained. He was gagged so he couldn’t scream. Cordelia turned and tried to run, but found something grabbing her ankle. She hit the ground face first before being dragged back towards the room. When she looked up, she saw some strange inky creature holding her ankle. 

“What a good boy you are,” Joey said, patting the head of the…thing. It made a guttural growling noise. 

“You know, I never thought you’d be a problem, Miss Bell,” Joey commented as he began to tie her up. “You were always so quiet. I thought you’d keep your nose out of this.”

“Why are you doing this?” She asked, starting to cry. 

“Simple, Mr Polk knows more than he should.” Joey tied the last knot and propped her up against the wall. “And now, so do you. So be a good girl and wait your turn.” He tied a gag around her mouth and patted her head, going back to Norman. He inserted the film reel into the chunk cut out of Norman’s shoulder, causing the projectionist to scream. 

“That wasn’t even the worst part.” Joey laughed. “You should save your voice.” Cordelia sobbed quietly as she watched Joey torture the projectionist, inserting more wires into his skin and a speaker into his chest. She had to do something. She had to stop this. As she cried, she started trying to wriggle out of the ropes. The ropes chafed at her skin, causing her wrists to begin to bleed. 

“You better not be trying to get free.” Joey had his back to her, but his voice was enough to make her freeze. 

“Fuck off.” She said although it came out rather muffled. 

“Such language.” Joey chuckled. “I think we’ll have to fix that. But first, we’ll need to finish Mr Polk.” He left the room, presumably to go get something, and Cordelia quickly got back to work trying to get free. If she contorted her body, she could reach her feet. It was difficult to undo the knots, but she managed to do it. Her hands were a little more difficult. The blood made the ropes slicker, which in the end was how she managed to get out of them. She got to her feet and went to untie Norman. He shook his head, gesturing for her to loosen his gag, which she did. 

“Run.” He rasped. “Take care…of Wendy.” 

“I can’t leave you here!” She said. “Wendy needs you!”

“Go.” His voice left very little room for argument. She hesitated, but in the end, she ran. She ran out of the studio and kept running until her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing loudly. The police were, naturally, called due to her dishevelled appearance. She kept crying the whole way to the station, barely able to get a single word out to the police officers. She knew it was too late to save Norman now. 


	27. Chapter 27

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had another idea, do you think you could write a story with Trauma!Norman where Cordelia and Roy are looking after him? And Cordelia tries to see if she can teach him how to speak, but it doesn't really work? (Because it'll take awhile before he'll be able to speak again, but I think it would be sweet of Cordelia to try) Sorry if this idea is stupid.. You don't have to write this if you don't any to.**

Wendy missed the sound of her brother’s voice, and Cordelia knew this perfectly well. So she had decided she’d try to teach Norman how to talk again.

“This isn’t going to work,” Roy said when she told him her idea. 

“Well, not immediately.” She began gathering up her teaching supplies. “It’ll take time, but I think I can do it.”

“At least you’re not expecting instantaneous results.” Roy sort of shrugged and they headed over. Wendy, as always, thanked them for their help before running off to work. Once she was gone, Cordelia got out her surprise and got to work. She’d brought a series of reading flashcards from the school that she hoped would be useful.

“Alright Norman, we’re going to be playing a little game today.” She said. Norman frowned and tilted his head to the side. Then he curiously looked towards Roy. 

“Don’t look at me.” Roy put up his hands. “This was her idea.” Norman looked back at Cordelia, still frowning. 

“Okay, let’s get started.” Cordelia held up a flashcard. “A. Can you say A?” Norman made a noise that sounded a little bit like ‘ah’, but without any proper vocalization. 

“Good. Good.” She nodded. “Let’s work on that. A.”

“Ah.”

They continued to work on this for the rest of the afternoon. Cordelia didn’t get very far with getting Norman to speak, but she still had hope. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all. She truly believed she’d get somewhere with him. 

“You know you can’t fix this, right?” Roy said to her as they left. “There’s nothing you can do that will undo what’s been done to him.” Cordelia’s shoulders slumped. 

“I know…” She said. “I just…I have to do something.” She’d watched it happen to him. She’d stood by and watched it happen. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” 

“I know.”

“You’re not responsible for fixing it.”

“I know-”

Roy caught her by the shoulder and dragged her back. “I mean it, Dee. You don’t have to try and fix this.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” She asked, frowning. “I have to help them somehow!”

“You  _are_ helping.” He assured her. “You’re at their house nearly every day. I’m sure Wendy’s glad you’re here.” Cordelia hesitated, but smiled and nodded. The two of them headed back to their house.


	28. Chapter 28

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 5 Henry and Sammy, where Sammy manages to regain his sanity and he's trying to 'wake' Henry up? Then Henry does wake up but he doesn't want to listen to Sammy because all he wants is to 'sleep' because he's too tired to fight off Joey's control? (Joey is determined to make sure Henry's remaining consciousness stays asleep so he can't fight Joey's influence) Sorry if this idea is stupid and confusing though..**

It had taken quite a bit to finally snap Sammy out of his insanity. The process had been gradual. Every time he played music, a small part of him returned. It had all come to a head when a searcher had banged into a drum and Sammy had instinctively yelled at them. In an instant, everything had come back to him. He’d looked around slowly, almost as if in a daze. He caught sight of Henry, sulking in his puddle, and ran over, grabbing him by his shoulders. 

“Henry.” He said. “Henry, please, wake up.” For a few moments, Henry stared at Sammy with sightless eyes. Slowly, though, recognition dawned in Henry’s eyes.

“Sammy?” His words were slurred. “What’s wrong?” Sammy laughed out of relief. 

“We need to get out of here.” He said, trying to pull Henry to his feet.  “ _You_  need to get out of here.” Henry just sunk back into his puddle. 

“’M so tired.” He mumbled. “I just wanna sleep.”

“No, Henry, fight it!” Sammy begged. 

“It’s too hard,” Henry whined, oozing out of Sammy’s grip. Every time Sammy tried to pull him up, the former animator just slipped out of his grip. Sammy was beginning to become desperate. He had to get Henry out of here, out of Joey’s control. He’d driven Henry into this corruption and he needed to fix it. Soon, Sammy was left kneeling on the ground, holding Henry to his chest and sobbing. It wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working?

“It’s okay, Sammy.” Henry smiled dreamily. “It feels good in the Dark Place. We have lots of friends there.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.” Sammy buried his head in Henry’s shoulder. “I did this to you. If I’d just helped, you could have gotten out.” 

“It wasn’t your fault.” Henry gently patted his back. Soon, the recognition left Henry’s eyes and he pushed Sammy away from himself, growling. Sammy just sat there, watching as Henry disappeared into a puddle. Then he hugged his knees and kept crying. How had he become such a monster?


	29. Nightmares

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) asked that I write something for Trauma!Norman and Wendy at the psychiatric hospital. 

* * *

Norman didn’t like the White Place. The men and women in the white coats always yelled at him and hit him. They said he was ‘difficult’. He didn’t understand what they wanted from and, frankly, he didn’t want to. He just wanted the Bad People to go away. They put him in a strange jacket that pinned his arms to his sides. He hated it. It was too tight and it brought back memories of being strapped to a table while a laughing man hurt him. He couldn’t cover his ears either. Hearing anything hurt. He just wanted it to be quiet. It had been quiet before. Why couldn’t it be quiet again? 

It was never quiet in the White Place. Even if it wasn’t him screaming, someone else was. He wasn’t allowed out of his room, but he saw the Bad People dragging people past his room sometimes. The ones going to the left were always screaming. The ones going to the right were limp, often having circular red marks on their temples. Norman knew that the ones who screamed the most were the ones who got taken to the left. To the left was a Bad Place. Sometimes the Bad People tried to give him little pills, but he never wanted to eat them. He always got hit after he did that, and the Bad People would leave. 

He only bit them when he felt threatened, when they were being especially mean. He didn’t bite all the time. He wanted the Nice Lady to know that. The Bad People told the Nice Lady that he was dangerous, that they couldn’t trust him around her. He didn’t want the Nice Lady to be scared of him. He wasn’t a bad person. At least, he didn’t think he was. But he wanted the Nice Lady to like him. She was nice to him. She didn’t hit him or yell at him, even when he started screaming. The Nice Lady, her name was Wendy, cared about him. He could tell that much. 

After the first time he’d met her, he held some hope in his heart that things would get better for him. He might not have had the mental capacity to properly put his thoughts together, but her presence made him happy. Somewhere in his mind, he believed that she could make things better, that she would take him away from the White Place someday.


	30. Chapter 30

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have another cool idea! Could you please write a story where Trauma!Norman is with Wendy and Cordelia, and something causes him to have some flashbacks? Making him remember a bit, but it causes him to panic and have a bit of a meltdown? Sorry if this idea is stupid, I just thought it would be interesting. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Cordelia was becoming a bit of a staple in the Polk household. She came over rather often to make sure both siblings were doing alright. It was on one of those visits that Norman remembered something. Cordelia had been grading papers when she’d gotten a papercut. Without thinking, she swore under her breath. 

“Fuck me.” She muttered, sucking her finger. “Stupid fucking paper.” Norman stopped his coloring, a memory resurfacing. 

_“Ow! Fuck!” Sammy snatched his hand away from the stack of music sheets, a small line of blood on his finger.  
_

_“You know, it’s not polite to swear, Sammy.” Norman leaned against the doorway.  
_

_“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Sammy waved his uninjured hand dismissively. “I won’t do it when your sister’s around, I promise.”_

_“Thanks.”  
_

_The scene quickly changed to a different one, though. Him strapped to a table, Joey smiling at him with the pieces of a projector in his hands._

_“Try not to scream, will you, Polk?” Joey said.  
_

Norman’s eyes widened and his hands went to his head. He started rocking back and forth, making upset noises. 

“Norman? Are you okay?” Cordelia reached out to touch his shoulder and he violently jerked away, beginning to scream. Wendy ran out of the kitchen, her expression panicked. 

“What’s happening?” She asked, rushing to Norman’s side. 

“I don’t know, he just started screaming.” Cordelia looked equally panicked. Wendy knelt beside Norman, trying to get him to look at her. 

“Normy, it’s okay.” She said. “You’re safe. No one’s going to hurt you.” Norman kept rocking back and forth shaking his head, but he stopped screaming at the sound of Wendy’s voice. 

“I’m here for you.” Wendy continued, smiling. “No one’s going to hurt you as long as I’m here.” Eventually, Norman stopped rocking, but he kept whimpering. Cordelia threw a blanket over his shoulders. Norman quickly burrowed into a blanket cocoon.  

“He must have had a flashback,” Wendy concluded, standing up. 

“It was probably my fault.” Cordelia hunched her shoulders. More than likely, she’d done something to remind Norman of Sammy. She’d adopted many of the music director’s mannerisms. 

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Wendy assured her. “We’re all learning how to deal with this.” She went back to the kitchen, leaving Cordelia with Norman. Cordelia stayed silent. 


	31. Chapter 31

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: I actually have a couple more if you don't mind, one with Stage 5 Henry becoming Lucid when around Sammy, and one around Murray.**

Sammy felt honored that his Lord had asked him to watch Henry for him while Joey was busy chasing down the woman and child. Henry seemed a little surprised when Sammy welcomed him with open arms into the music department, even if he didn’t understand his confusion anymore. 

“Would you like to hear a song?” Sammy asked as he ushered Henry into the band room. “I admit, I’m perhaps not as good as I used to be, but I remember you used to enjoy my music.” Henry made a vague grunting noise, sinking lower in his puddle. 

“Ah, well, I’ll play anyway. I need the practice.” Sammy shrugged and sat down at the piano. Playing with four fingers was difficult, but he was getting himself back to where he used to be. He started to play, losing himself in the music. Eventually, he was interrupted by the sound of crying. Sammy frowned and looked over to see Henry sobbing into his hands. 

“What’s wrong?” Sammy got up and moved towards Henry. Part of him was gleeful at this reaction. He’d moved someone to tears with his music! He hadn’t moved anyone like that in years!

“I don’t want to be like this,” Henry said, and Sammy’s little fantasy was shattered. Sammy’s first reaction was to mock Henry, but instead, he knelt beside the former animator and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Something had been awakened inside of him. His old personality. 

“None of us do.” He said, his voice soft. Henry was so surprised he stopped crying. Sammy tugged down his mask, gazing sightlessly down at Henry. 

“You won’t…mock me?” Henry asked slowly. 

“Not this time.” Sammy shook his head. The two of them just sat there, holding one another. That was how Murray found them, holding one another. 

“Joey’s….looking for you,” Murray said slowly. 

“Which one of us?” Sammy asked. 

“Henry,” Murray replied. 

“I don’t want to go to him.” Henry shook his head, fresh tears springing to his eyes. 

“We all must follow our Lord.” Sammy let out a hollow laugh and got up, leaving the room. That left Murray and Henry alone together. Murray shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t know what to say. What was he supposed to say? 

“I’m sorry.” He finally managed out. “I…I didn’t know it would end this way.” 

“None of us did,” Henry said. He could feel himself slipping back and the thought made him want to cry all over again. Murray knew there was no way to fix this. There was no way to right his wrongs. So he just left. He turned around and left the room, hands shoved in his pockets. What was the point of being a scientist if he couldn’t make things better?


	32. Chapter 32

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have a sad and interesting idea. Do you think you could write a story with Cordelia and Trauma!Norman where he has a nightmare? When he gets them they're usually about the experiments and his time in Level 14. (That can sometimes cause him to revert back into the feral state of mind. So he may hurt someone, but not on purpose) Sorry if this idea is stupid.. and sorry if I've been overwhelming you. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Cordelia had yet to see Norman in the state Wendy had found him in. She had been lucky in that regard. But that wouldn’t last. Cordelia would be face to face with the Projectionist soon enough. That moment came one day when Cordelia had come over for lunch. Norman had just gotten over a cold and was having some very disturbing dreams. He was remembering his time on level 14 and the experiments Joey had done on him. Cordelia was sitting opposite him, reading a book. Norman suddenly jerked awake, looking around wildly. 

“Norman? Are you alright?” Cordelia asked, reaching out. Norman turned to her, eyes wild and roared, slapping her hand away. 

“Norman!” Cordelia said sharply. Norman roared again, trying to scratch her face. By this point, Wendy had come into the room to investigate the commotion. 

“Stay where you are.” Cordelia put a hand up, using the other to keep Norman at bay. 

“Oh no.” Wendy’s hands went to her mouth. Things had been going so well. He couldn’t be relapsing now. 

“Norman, calm down.” Cordelia kept her voice low and gentle. Norman growled, backing up on the couch. He seemed like a feral animal. 

“Normy.” Wendy approached, keeping her hands up. “It’s me.” Norman’s head snapped to look at her and he relaxed a bit upon seeing her face. 

“Everything’s okay.” Wendy put her hands on Norman’s shoulders. “I’m here.” Norman rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes and holding her close to him. Cordelia smiled softly, despite the fact that her heart was pounding. She hadn’t been expecting something like that to happen. At least Wendy could calm him down at least. 


	33. Chapter 33

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea. Do you think you could write a story where Trauma!Norman gets sick again but this time Roy gets stuck having to look after him? Because Wendy had work, and Cordelia gets another unexpected call? I just think Roy is a pretty interesting character and Norman is so silly and cute when he's sick! Sorry if this idea is stupid, I just thought it would be interesting and funny. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

It was no secret that Roy was not the biggest fan of children. He’d never liked them much, his sister being the eternal exception. And yet, here he was, caring for what essentially amounted to a sick child. He had been put in charge of taking care of the sick Norman while Wendy was at work since his sister had been called out for a meeting. Roy would have tried to get out of it, but he wasn’t a complete asshole. So here he was, trying to get Norman to take his medicine. He’d already had a bowl of soup upended on him, so he was currently borrowing some of Norman’s clothes. 

“Come on,” Roy said, smiling through gritted teeth as he held the spoon out towards Norman. “I know neither of us wants to be doing this, but it’s for your own good.” 

“Uh-uh.” Norman shook his head and burrowed deeper into his blanket cocoon. Then he blew a raspberry at Roy. Roy exhaled slowly, trying very hard not to get pissed off. 

“Never work with animals or children.” He muttered to himself. Surely Cordelia hadn’t been nearly this bad. He thought back, then made a face. She had been just as bad, if not arguably worse. Speaking of her…What had worked with her? He thought back to his time taking care of Cordelia when they’d both been children.

“Alright, how about this?” He put on his best winning smile and pulled out a piece of candy from his pocket. “If you eat the medicine, I’ll give you a candy.” Norman eyed him suspiciously. 

“Is it good candy?” He wrote. “Spider man sometimes has gross candy.”

“Well, if you don’t want it, I could eat it.” Roy unwrapped it with his free hand and held it over his open mouth. Norman quickly shook his head, shoving the spoon into his mouth. He recoiled at the taste but gulped it down all the same. Immediately, he snatched the candy away and began sucking on it. He made a contented noise and retreated back into his cocoon. 

“There we go.” Roy leaned back on the couch. “Now, if I get you more soup will you promise not to throw it on me this time?” Norman nodded, going back to drawing. Roy got up and dished up some more soup. He put the bowl on the table in front of Norman before settling back down. That hadn’t been so bad. He just needed to get his clothes cleaned again.


	34. Chapter 34

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) asked me to write a story about Norman as the Projectionist, with his confusion about Wendy.

* * *

Everything was dark in that place. All he did was skulk through the passageways, occasionally sitting down and watching the cartoons that played on the walls. Everything was quiet. He wouldn’t have minded so much if he wasn’t in constant pain. The wires attached to his body and the reel in his shoulder were everpresent in his mind. There was always a dull ache in his body. The projector on his head didn’t help. He wasn’t sure he even had a head anymore. He could see through the lens of the projector well enough, but that didn’t tell him if still had eyes or a head. 

He couldn’t remember who he was or why he was in this place. His head always hurt if he tried to remember. So he just didn’t. It was easier to just watch the cartoons and walk through the corridors. He wasn’t happy that way, but he could content himself with it for the moment. Part of him held hope that he would be able to get out of this place. He didn’t know how, but he believed he would get out. Someone would come for him. Someone had to be looking for him. He couldn’t be alone. 

Then the girl came. She seemed like she knew him, and he couldn’t help but feel that he knew her as well. She’d called him Norman. The name did seem familiar, but it also seemed divorced from who he was. Norman was the girl’s brother, a man who had been clever and bright. The tapes had said so. He wasn’t clever. He barely knew who he was. He wanted to help the girl, though. The girl was sweet. She needed to be protective, he knew this instinctively. He would do whatever he could to help her. 


	35. Chapter 35

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had a cute idea for another story! Do you think you could write a story where Cordelia and Roy are trying to teach Trauma!Norman some more words? Because I thought those stories where Cordelia tried to help was so cute!! Norman will take awhile to learn more but I think it would be sweet to see him try. Sorry if this idea isn't good though, you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Having succeeded in teaching Norman how to say Wendy’s name, Cordelia moved on to teaching Norman other words. Emboldened by her previous success, she was determined to make even more progress. She started with the name of her brother. Roy had an easy enough name to say, after all. 

“Why am I involved in this?” Roy asked as Cordelia sat him down in front of Norman on the couch. Norman was drawing away, as he usually did. 

“Because you have the easiest name to say.” She said. “Now just sit there.” She walked around to kneel between Norman and her brother. “Okay, Norman we’re going to learn how to say another name.” Norman looked up, excited. He’d seen how well learning Wendy’s name had gone over. 

“We’re going to learn how to say Roy’s name.” She smiled and brought out her flashcards again. 

“Oy.” Norman pointed to Roy, then wrote ‘spider man’ on his paper. 

“Yes, he does look like a spider.” Cordelia agreed. 

“I’m never going to hear the end of that, am I?” Roy asked dryly. 

“No, now hush.” Cordelia waved a dismissive hand towards her brother. “Very good, Norman. Now let’s work on the R sound. Repeat after me. Errr.”

“Uuuh.” 

“Good good. Roy.”

“Woy.” 

Roy got out a sketchpad and started sketching while Norman and Cordelia practiced. He was actually starting to get rather good. It was relaxing. He could understand why Henry loved it so much. Every so often he’d look up to see Norman’s face screwed up in concentration as he tried to make the R sound. Eventually, he did manage it, much to Cordelia’s joy. Even Roy cracked a smile at that.

“Not bad, kiddo.” He said, giving Norman a thumbs up. Norman vibrated in his seat, clapping his hands together.

“Great job!” Cordelia smiled and held her hand up for a hive five. Norman hesitated, then tapped her hand on his. Cordelia smiled and giggled. Norman smiled back.


	36. Chapter 36

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) requested a story about Cordelia finding out that Norman was alive in the Trauma verse. 

* * *

When Wendy had called her crying, Cordelia had been both confused and concerned. Part of her hoped it was about Norman, but she knew it couldn’t be that. Joey got rid of threats to his power. But then she heard Norman’s name drop from Wendy’s lips. 

“He’s alive,” Wendy said. “Normy’s alive!” 

“That’s amazing!” Cordelia almost felt like crying. He was alive! Norman was alive! But her excitement quickly faded. He couldn’t have come out of there unscathed. She’d always known that if Norman survived, he wouldn’t be the same man he’d been before. Immediately, dread began to set in.

“How is he?” She asked tentatively. 

“He’s…..” Wendy trailed off. “He’s alive. That’s what matters.” Cordelia’s dread deepened. 

“Where is he?”

“He’s at an asylum right now,” Wendy explained. “I got to see him yesterday!”

“That’s great.” Cordelia slipped into the mode she used when she was trying to hide her negative emotions. She and Wendy chatted for a few more minutes before she hung up and retreated to her room. She had to go see Norman. She had to see how bad it was. 

The next day, she asked Roy to take her to the asylum. She wanted him there so that they couldn’t somehow commit her. She was always afraid of being locked away forever for something she couldn’t control. She put on her best clothes, did her hair and makeup, did her best to look as normal as possible. Roy was presentable as always. Her hands shook as she entered. Roy put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. 

“It’ll be alright.” He assured her. 

“If you say so.” She whispered back. 

“How can I help you?” The receptionist asked, barely giving them a second glance. 

“We’re here to see Norman Polk.” Cordelia put on her sunniest smile. “His sister said he was here.” The receptionist gave them a once over and seemed rather surprised by what she saw. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to see him. He’s a danger to himself and to others.”

“Please.” Cordelia’s smile was strained. “I need to see him. I worked with him.” 

“I can’t let you into the room, but I suppose you can see him.” The receptionist replied after hesitating for a moment. A nurse appeared a moment or so later to take them to the room. Roy held his sister’s hand as she clung to him like a scared child. They reached the room and she froze when she saw the man lying in the padded room. 

She hadn’t thought she’d ever see him alive again. He didn’t look the same as she remembered him. He hadn’t seemed to age, but his hair was white as snow. His eyes were dull, as though he couldn’t really see anything. He was so thin as well. He looked miserable. She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes as she stumbled away from the door. 

“Do you need to leave?” Roy whispered. She nodded, and he led her out. She spent the drive home crying. She was glad Norman was alive, God was she glad, but he wasn’t ever going to be the same again. She should have done something to save him back them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been in this situation. She had to fix this somehow. She had to get Norman out of there. 


	37. Chapter 37

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi sorry if this is early but I had a cute and interesting idea. Do you think you could write a story like the one where Cordelia tries to help Norman learn how to speak again? Except this time she manages to get him to speak a little? Sorry I may have written everything wrong because I just came back from the dentist so my thoughts are kind of dizzy. Sorry if this idea is stupid and not well explained, you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Don’t worry about it. I always enjoy getting your prompts. 

* * *

Cordelia hadn’t given up on getting Norman to speak. She still brought flashcards and worked on it every time she came over. She was managing to get him to vocalize letters. It was slow going, but she was heartened by the small progress she was making. Then, one day, she made a breakthrough. She’d been shuffling her cards when Norman had pointed to a picture of Wendy and said, 

“Enny.” 

Cordelia stopped and stared at him. 

“What did you say?” She asked. 

“Enny!” He repeated, pointing at the picture of Wendy and smiling. Cordelia felt tears pricking at her eyes. 

“That’s right.” She nodded. “Wen-dy.”

“En-ny.” 

“Wuh. Say it with me. Wuh.”

“Uh.”

“Purse your lips for me.” She said, demonstrating. Norman frowned and copied her. 

“Wuh.”

“That’s right!” She clapped her hands together, tears starting to stream down her cheeks. 

“Weny.” Norman grinned, pointing at Wendy’s picture.

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to helping Norman say Wendy’s name. That was all  Cordelia cared about. That was why she’d started doing this. She wanted Norman to be able to call his sister by his name again. When Wendy came home, Norman greeted her with a smile and said her name. 

“Wendy!”

Wendy dropped her bag, her eyes widening. 

“Normy?” She whispered. 

“I managed to teach him to say your name.” Cordelia walked out of the living room. It was clear she’d been crying as she smiled at Wendy. 

“Wendy! Wendy!” Norman said, very excited that he was able to say this one word. Wendy tried to blink her away her tears. Norman always got worried when she cried. She couldn’t help it though. 

“It’s so good to hear your voice.” She whispered, walking over and hugging him. Norman hugged her back. He might not have known why she was so happy, but he understood that he’d made her happy somehow. And that made him happy.


	38. Chapter 38

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Trauma!Norman and Cordelia was looking after him again at her house, but then maybe one of Cordelia's friends come over for an unexpected visit? I think it would very interesting for someone to notice his behaviour and be concerned, and for Cordelia to explain his condition to the person to the best of her ability. Sorry if this idea is stupid and kind of hard.. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Cordelia hadn’t had to explain Norman’s condition to anyone yet. She lived a fairly secluded life. Most of her friends were from the studio and/or already knew about Norman’s condition. However, there was one person who was neither. And that was her cousin Daryl. Daryl always visited in the springtime to stay with the Bell siblings for a week or so, and Cordelia had forgotten that that specific week was the one where Daryl would be coming over. So she’d agreed to watch Norman for the day. She was making lunch when she heard the doorbell ring. 

“Roy! Could you get that?”

“Fine!” Roy groaned and got up from the couch, putting his book down. Norman kept coloring, perfectly happy. He froze when he looked through the peephole to see who it was. 

“It’s  _him_.” He said, turning around slowly. Cordelia nearly dropped her spoon. Fuck! Was it May 15th already?

“Come on cuz, open up!” Daryl’s voice came from outside the door. Norman tilted his head to the side, faint recognition in his eyes. 

“I’m not letting him in.” 

“Roy!” 

“I don’t want to!” Roy whined. “He’s so loud!”

“I can hear y’all, you know,” Daryl said. Cordelia huffed and exited the kitchen, opening the door for her cousin. Daryl grinned upon seeing her, sweeping her up into a hug. 

“Cordie!”

“Daryl.” She couldn’t help but smile when faced with his enthusiasm. 

“I’ll be going now.” Roy tried to slip away, but Cordelia grabbed him by his collar and dragged him back. 

“Play nice.” She said. “Help Daryl bring his luggage in. I have to finish lunch.”

“Fine.” Roy sighed and went out to retrieve the luggage from the taxi. Daryl looked around curiously. He was always interested in seeing how the house changed from year to year. He stopped when he saw Norman. 

“Well hello there.” He sauntered over. “You’re that Polk fella, aincha?” Norman watched him with narrowed eyes, just slightly wary of this strange man. Daryl didn’t exactly cut an imposing figure. He was the exact opposite of Roy, small, slightly stocky, and dressed in rumpled clothing. His hair was wild and he wore rather thick glasses. 

“Not much of a conversationalist are ya?” Daryl said. “Ah, well. That’s alright. How’s your sister?”

“Wendy works a lot.” Norman wrote. “You know her?”

“Sorta?” Daryl shrugged slightly. “I met her once. Seemed like a nice girl. I know Cordie likes her.” Roy returned with the luggage, muttering to himself, and carried it to the guest bedroom. Cordelia exited the kitchen, bowls in hand. She paused when she saw Daryl talking to Norman.

“What’s up with him?” Daryl asked, looking back at her. “He’s not like he was before.” Cordelia took a shaking breath, setting the bowls down on the coffee table. 

“You remember Joey Drew Studios, right?” She said. 

Daryl nodded, making a face. “Real freaky place if you ask me.” 

“Yeah, it was.” She gnawed at her lip. “So…Norman had some…really bad things happen to him there. His mind was basically torn apart. Wendy’s trying to look after him as best she can. He’s…He’s probably never going to be the same again.” Daryl nodded again, looking at Norman. 

“At least he’s happy.” He said. “He is happy, right?”

“He is.” 

“Good.” Daryl picked up his bowl and started to eat. “That’s all that really matters.” Cordelia stared at him for a moment. She’d thought it would be harder. She’d thought he’d react differently. 

“What?” Daryl asked, a noodle hanging out of his mouth.

“Nothing.” Cordelia shook her head and smiled. She was glad he understood.


	39. Chapter 39

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea, do you think you could write a story where Stage 4 Henry is with Annette again, and Joey along with the voices in the hive-mind are trying to talk to him? And Henry is trying to resist them, and battle the voices? Sorry if this idea isn't good or doesn't make sense. I just thought it would be interesting, you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Henry wasn’t doing great. He could barely think straight and he had to lean on the wall to keep his balance. Annette stayed close as the two of them moved through the studio. It was obvious she was worried about him, but there wasn’t a lot that she could really do. 

“Do you want to take a break?” She asked. 

> _Break_
> 
> **Break**

“I’m fine.” Henry said, trying to ignore the echoing voices in his mind. 

> _Join us_
> 
> **Join us**

_“Don’t you miss me, Henry?”_  Joey’s voice slipped in, clear above the cacophony. 

“Shut up,” Henry muttered. 

“I didn’t say anything.” Annette frowned. 

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Henry assured her, one hand going to his head. It was beginning to pound now as the voices grew louder. They were screaming, yelling, desperate to be heard over all the others. 

 _“Isn’t this tiring?”_  Joey whispered, and Henry could almost feel his former friend’s hands on his shoulders.  _“It would be so much easier if you just let go. I promise, no one will ever hurt you again, Henry. I’ll take care of you.”_

“I don’t want this,” Henry said. Annette stopped and looked back at him, the fear plain in her eyes. 

“You should leave me.” He hung his head. “It’s too late for me.” 

“What?! No!” Annette rushed to his side, ready to pull him into a hug. She, thankfully, hesitated upon realizing the corruption but stood firm. 

“I’m not leaving you.” She said, folding her arms. 

“I’m losing the battle.” Henry insisted. “You should leave while you still can.” He didn’t want to end up attacking her. 

 _“Aren’t you a good boy? Already trying to distance yourself from the terrible influences of the outside world.”_ Joey purred.  _“I knew I could count on you to come through when I needed you to.”_

“Shut up!” Henry slammed his fist into a wall. Annette jumped back. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Henry stammered. “I…I wasn’t talking to you. It was Joey.” Annette nodded, starting to wring her hands.

> _Join us_
> 
> **Join us**
> 
> _It doesn’t hurt_
> 
> **Doesn’t hurt**

Henry whimpered, covering his ears. Why wouldn’t it stop? He just wanted it to be quiet. 

“We’ll get through this,” Annette said, an expression of grim determination settling on her face. “Joey won’t take you.”

_“We’ll see about that.”_


	40. Chapter 40

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Henry in Stage 3 or 4 and Sammy somehow catches him again, and tries to make Henry's progress into Stage 5 faster? I think it would be pretty cool! Sorry if the idea is stupid though. You don't have to write this if you don't want to. (Also thank you so much for the drawing of Henry earlier, it was amazing and I love it!! 😄)**

You’re very welcome. I love doing things for your au. It’s so interesting.

* * *

Henry had been hoping to avoid Sammy. The former music director would simply speed up Henry’s corruption, and he knew it. Unfortunately, the studio wasn’t big enough that he could avoid Sammy for long. He ran into Sammy on the lower levels, as he was looking for Annette and Vincent. He’d been rounding a corner when he bumped into Sammy. The voices in his mind screamed as he ran into the former music director. 

> _Sammy!_  
> 
> **Sammy!**

“Sammy!” Henry gasped. 

“Henry.” Sammy smiled from behind the mask. Just being in the presence of Sammy made the ink spread further across Henry’s body. 

“Well well well.” The former music director laughed harshly. “It seems you’re progressing rather well.” Henry scrambled backwards. The voices were even louder now that he was close to Sammy.

“Are you in pain?” Sammy asked, suddenly sounding rather concerned. 

“G-Get away from me!” Henry put his hands over his ears. Sammy’s presence, and thus the presence of Joey’s power, was making the corruption progress even faster. 

“You shouldn’t fight it.” Sammy put a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “The glory of our Lord is great! You should be honoured that he has chosen you to be his champion!”

“He didn’t choose me to be anything but a slave!” Henry snapped. He didn’t have the strength to push Sammy away. Sammy helped Henry up, practically dragging him to the elevator. 

“You were once a traitor, but worry not.” Sammy said, pressing the button to take them to the upper floors. “You will be our Lord’s most trusted confidant. You will be one of us again.” 

“Do  _you_  want to be a part of this?” Henry whispered. Sammy hesitated, arm still around Henry’s shoulder. 

“He will set us free.” The musician stared down at the floor. “I must have faith.” Henry found feel himself beginning to slip away. He hadn’t expected Sammy’s presence to speed up the corruption this much. He didn’t want to lose himself to Joey. 

“Don’t fight it,” Sammy said again. “It hurts less that way.” Henry turned his face towards Sammy’s, gazing blearily at his former friend.  For a moment, he thought he saw a glimmer of the man he’d once known. But it was gone as soon as they exited the elevator. 

“Come along, now. Don’t fall behind.” Sammy sang. “We have so much work to do. You’re not perfect yet. But you will be.”

“Sammy…please….” Henry found speaking to be difficult. His vision was starting to swim. Why wouldn’t it stop? He just wanted to go home. 

“Worry not.” Sammy plopped Henry down on a chair. “I will play a song for you. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.” He walked over to the piano and sat down, beginning to play. 

“He comes out of the shadows. To offer me his blessings~”

Henry slipped into the comforting darkness listening to the sound of Sammy’s voice. 


	41. Chapter 41

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have another idea for a story! Do you think you could write something where Cordelia and Roy take Trauma!Norman to look at the kitty's again? Though except someone starts being mean, so Cordelia and Roy stick up for him? Sorry if it's a stupid idea, I just thought it would be an interesting idea. Plus I think it would be very sweet to see them stick up for him! You don't have to write this if you don't want to though.**

Norman had never seen Cordelia nor Roy angry before. At least, not as angry as they became at the pet shelter. They were at the shelter because Wendy was out and Cordelia had promised to pick up a shift at the shelter. Roy was along to take care of Norman. Norman was rather excited to go back to the pet shelter. He wanted to pet more kitties. 

“Slow down kiddo!” Roy was practically dragged inside by Norman. Cordelia laughed softly, following along. 

“Morning, Miss Bell.” The receptionist waved. 

“Good morning, Margaret.” Cordelia waved back. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought along a few guests.”

“As long as they don’t cause trouble, it’ll be fine,” Margaret said. Norman stood by the door to the cat rooms, jumping up and down. 

“You really are excited, aren’t you?” Cordelia laughed, opening the door. Norman immediately streaked to the kitten room, pointing and making excited noises. 

“Alright, you and Roy can play with the kitties while I clean.” Cordelia unlocked the door and let them in. Norman dragged Roy in and settled down to let the kittens play all over him. Roy couldn’t help but smile a little at the pure joy on Norman’s face. 

“You really love cats, don’t you?” Roy leaned against the wall, watching as cats crawled all over Norman’s body. Norman nodded fervently.

“Enjoy it while you can, kid.” Roy picked up a kitten and held it in his arms, smiling as it purred. Cordelia smiled as well as she started to sweep the hallway. 

“Hey, sweetheart.” And just like that, her smile faded. 

“Hello, John.” She sighed, turning around. “What do you want?” John grinned, a rather unpleasant expression and leaned down so their eyes met. 

“Why so cold, sugar?”

“I’ve made it rather clear that I don’t like you, John.” She said flatly. “Now what do you want?”

“I just wanted to see if you’d reconsidered my offer of lunch,” John’s smile grew tight. 

“I haven’t. The answer is still no.” She turned away, going back to sweeping. 

“Aw c’mon.” John tried to wrap an arm around her waist, but she slipped away. 

“I said no.” She snapped. John rolled his eyes, folding his arms and beginning to pout. He stopped when he noticed Norman and Roy. 

“What’s your freak brother doing here?” He asked. “And who’s the weirdo with him?” Cordelia froze, her whole body beginning to shake with barely contained rage. John peered closer, his eyes widening. 

“Wait, that’s that Polk guy!” He snorted. “I heard he became lost his mind! Why’d they even let him out of the loony bin? Freaks like him should stay locked up. You never know, he could hurt someone.”

“If you say another word, I’m going to shove this through your eye,” Cordelia growled, rounding on him. By this point, Roy had noticed John and how angry Cordelia was becoming. Excusing himself, he put the kitten down and left the room. 

“John.” His voice was icy. He cut an imposing figure, towering over John. 

“H-Hey Roy.” John smiled nervously. “W-What’s with the look?”

“I don’t know. What were you doing that made my sister so angry?” 

“He was saying bad things about Norman.” Cordelia was gripping the broom so tightly her knuckles were turning white. Roy’s expression darkened further. 

“Do you know what happened to him,  _John_?” Roy spat out John’s name as though it was poison. “Do you know the horrors he escaped?” 

“L-Look, I was just kidding.” John put up his hands, stumbling backwards. “I didn’t mean anything by it!”

“It doesn’t matter. You still said it.” Roy narrowed his eyes. “Now get out of here.” John nodded and ran. Cordelia snapped the broom in half, then went and threw it into the trash. 

“Let’s go play with some kittens, okay?” Roy gently led her into the kitten room. Norman looked up when she entered, slightly concerned by how angry she looked. 

“I’m….I’m okay.” She smiled tiredly. “Don’t worry about me.” Norman frowned and held a kitten up. Cordelia’s smile grew more genuine. 

“Thank you, Norman.” She took the kitten. “You’re a good man.” Norman beamed. 


	42. Chapter 42

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay the story you made yesterday where Cordelia and Roy stuck up for Trauma!Norman was so great! It gave me some more ideas! Do you think you could write something where Norman is at the shelter again? Though this time John (Is that his name?) starts to be a jerk to him, while waiting for Cordelia and Roy to come back from getting something? Only to be stopped before Norman has a breakdown? Sorry if this sounds stupid and hard by the way, you don't have to write this if you don't want to..**

I would be delighted to write this.

* * *

John did not enjoy being humiliated. Especially not by a cripple and a  _girl._ He hadn’t even said anything wrong. That Polk guy was a loonie. He should be locked up forever. And John was going to prove it. So the next time Cordelia brought Norman to the shelter, John struck. He waited until Cordelia left the room and sidled over to Norman. 

“Hey. You’re Polk, right?” He said. Norman looked up at John, narrowing his eyes. He looked away quickly, folding his arms and pouting. John gritted his teeth but kept forcing himself to smile. 

“You’re pretty close to Cordie, huh?” He leaned closer. “You got a crush on her or something?” Norman shook his head. 

“Fwen.” He managed to say. God, he was like a little kid. John tried not to sneer. How pathetic. 

“You can’t even talk right?” He snickered. Norman frowned, moving away from John. Unfortunately, John followed him. 

“What? Did I hurt widdle baby’s feelings?” He mocked. “Grow a pair! You’re a man, aren’t you?” Norman hunched his shoulders, covering his ears. 

“Come on, you’re not a pussy, are you?” John shoved Norman. Norman started to shake. He wanted to get out of there. Why was this man tormenting him? What had he done wrong?

“Man, you really are pathetic!” John laughed harshly. A moment later, a fist collided with his face. 

“I thought I told you to stay away from him.” She growled. 

“You punched me!” John yelled, cupping his cheek. 

“And I’ll do it again if you don’t fuck off.” She growled. “Now go.” John seemed to consider this for a moment before beating a hasty retreat. 

“Are you okay?” Cordelia turned to Norman, her demeanor immediately softening. Norman whimpered and drew into himself. 

“C’mon. Let’s get you some kittens.” Cordelia helped him up and took him into a kitten room.


	43. Chapter 43

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: Sorry for all the requests, but could you do a stage 5 Henry waking up, going to find Murray and asking him to fix him? Murray has to explain that he can't, but he wished he didn't have to**

Don’t worry about it. 

* * *

Murray had been dreading this conversation. The likelihood of Henry waking up once he entered stage 5 was slim, but it could still happen. And it did. Murray was jotting down some notes when Henry entered, oozing along the floor. Murray didn’t immediately acknowledge him, assuming Henry was still under Joey’s thrall. Then he felt a tug on his lab coat. He looked down and his heart sank. There was recognition in Henry’s eyes. 

“Fix…me…” Henry rasped. “Please…”

“I…I can’t,” Murray said. “I’m sorry.” 

“Please,” Henry begged, his voice beginning to waver. 

“I’m sorry.” Murray tried to move away. “I can’t fix you.” Henry sunk back, his shoulders slumping. 

“I…I wish it wasn’t like this.” Murray continued. “I wish I had never helped Joey with this.”

“It’s….okay,” Henry said. “You didn’t…know.”

“Yes, but I should have known.” Murray ran a hand through his hair. He hadn’t washed it in days, so his hair was limp and greasy. Henry offered a tired smile, patting his arm. 

“We all…make mistakes.” He assured the scientist. Then he oozed away. Murray collapsed into a chair, head in his hands. He’d become a monster. 


	44. Chapter 44

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: Can you do a lucid stage 5 Henry trying to get Sammy to "wake up"? Thanks so much! :D**

Henry was in the band room when he finally regained his sanity. One moment, he was listening to Sammy play and the next he was screaming. Sammy abruptly stopped playing, getting up and crossing the room to kneel beside Henry. 

“Why are you screaming?” He asked, the barest hint of concern on his inky features. 

“S-Sammy.” Henry rasped. 

“Oh.” Sammy stood up and turned away. “Do not speak to me, traitor. I prefer the company of my lord’s faithful dog.”

“Sammy, please.” Henry oozed forward, trying to ignore how uncomfortable he was with his inky form. “Please, wake up.” He wanted to talk to his friend. Joey was obviously no help, but Sammy…Sammy was still his friend. 

“I don’t want to listen to your lies.” Sammy hissed, sitting down at the piano. “Now leave me be.” 

“Sammy.” Henry’s choked up voice gave the former music director pause. Something in that sound awakened something inside him. He laid his hands on the piano keys. 

“Sammy,” Henry said again, on the verge of tears. 

“I can hear you fine,” Sammy said. Anyone else would have thought he was snapping, but Henry could hear the subtle change in the musician’s voice.

“I missed you.” Henry’s voice wavered.

“I missed you too.” Sammy murmured. “I’m sorry you got caught up in all this. You didn’t deserve it.”

“Neither did you.”

Sammy shrugged at that, beginning to play. He played a soft, slow song. One that lulled Henry to sleep. It was a deep sleep, one where he could really rest. Joey wouldn’t be able to wake him until Henry was good and ready. Sammy relaxed a little once Henry was asleep. Then he began to quietly cry. He was beginning to forget his own face. Hell, he was even beginning to forget Susie’s face. He just wanted to go back to normal. Why couldn’t they all just go home?


	45. Chapter 45

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had a crazy yet interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Annette and Stage-4!Henry where they meet up, and while they look for the way out Henry unexpectedly progresses into Stage 5? Like one minute he's okay and then the next he's being corrupted completely? Sorry if this idea is stupid, I don't think I thought it through too well.. you don't have to write this if you don't want to. Besides I'm getting really worried that I've been overwhelming you.**

Annette had found Henry just as he entered stage 4. He was delirious, barely able to keep himself together. Annette found talking helped keep him together. As long as they were talking, he could mostly stay coherent. She’d offered to help carry him, but he’d refused. 

“If you touch me, you’ll be infected.” He said. 

“Alright.” She felt rather silly for asking now. She should have known better. She’d asked questions and everything. So they continued separately, walking beside one another. Well, walking was a strong word for what Henry was doing. He mostly limped along, clutching a wall to keep himself upright

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Annette asked. 

“Well, okay is a strong word.” Henry smiled weakly. “But I’ll manage. Don’t worry.”

“That makes me even more worried,” Annette said, folding her arms. She didn’t like seeing Henry like this. There had to be something she could do. Well, for now, she just needed to get Henry out of here. Things would get better if they got out of this place. Unfortunately, Henry didn’t get out. One moment, they were talking normally, and the next Henry was a growling animalistic creature who was attacking Annette. The ink had consumed him, no trace of humanity left. 

“Henry, what are you doing?!” Annette screamed, stumbling back. Henry, or the thing that used to be him, just growled and launched itself at her again. 

“Henry please!” Annette begged, her back against a wall. She was on the verge of tears now, her heart pounding in her chest. Henry charged at her again, but she slipped past. She ran through the corridors, Henry always just a step or so behind. His inky hands grazed her shirt as she ran, until she threw open the door and stumbled out into the light. Henry recoiled from the harsh light, turning and retreating into the studio. 

“What the hell?” Annette whispered to herself. Her whole body shook. What had just happened? Had she lost Henry? As the reality of the situation hit her, she slowly began to cry. Why? Why did this have to happen to Henry? Why couldn’t she have saved him?


	46. Chapter 46

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I have an interesting and sad idea. Do you think you could write a story with Stage 3 Henry where he does get caught by Joey, but then he forces Murray to speed up the corruption process? (Joey knows that Murray feels remorse for his actions.) It'll be pretty sad though because Murray will most-likely have to force more ink into Henry despite not wanting to. Sorry if this idea is stupid and strange. I just thought it would be interesting. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Murray Hill had had expectations about his life as a scientist. He’d expected he’d be helping people, saving the world, doing good. Instead, he’d become entangled in the cruel machinations of a madman. He’d tried to help Henry escape as soon as he’d found out Joey had infected him. Henry didn’t deserve this. No one did. Unfortunately, Joey had caught them. 

“Well well well.” Joey smiled and rolled towards them. “What do we have here?” Murray froze, his hand on the doorknob. They’d been so close. 

“Mr. Hill.” Joey finally reached them. 

“Mr. Drew.” Murray drew himself up to his full height. He didn’t owe Joey any explanation. Joey didn’t own him. 

“I convinced him to help me escape.” Henry got between the two of them. “Don’t punish him.” 

“Alright then, I won’t.” Joey kept smiling. “I’ll punish you.” His hand snaked out and he grabbed Henry by his hair. Rising from his wheelchair, he began to limp down the hallway, dragging Henry behind him. 

“Come along, Mr. Hill~” He said in a sing-song voice. “We have work to do!” Murray gritted his teeth, swallowed, and followed after Joey. He gave Henry a pitying, almost apologetic, look. Henry just nodded, almost as if to assure him that it would be alright. They got to the ink machine room and Joey laid Henry on the silver slab.

“Speed up the corruption.” Joey looked at Murray with cold eyes.

“What?” Murray asked. 

“You heard what I said.” Joey smiled cruelly. “Speed up the corruption. Prove your loyalty to me.” 

“But I-”

“Or do you want to join him?” Joey raised an eyebrow. “Because that can be arranged as well, Mr. Hill.” 

“N-No. I’ll do it.” Murray shook his head. “I’ll…I’ll do it.” He turned to his station, full of shining beakers and scalpels. He picked up the ink, the monster he’d helped to create. He held it in his shaking hands, catching his haggard reflection in the glass of the vial. He turned back to Joey and Henry. Henry trembled under his restraints, the ink seeping down his neck. 

“I’m sorry,” Murray whispered as he forced Henry’s mouth open. The ink went down like molasses, thick and sluggish. Henry nearly choked. The ink began to advance further, starting to cover everything over. Joey was delighted, clapping his hands together. 

“Wonderful! I was wrong to doubt you, Mr. Hill!” He boomed. As everything that was Henry was washed away with ink, Murray Hill turned away. And he wept.


	47. Chapter 47

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I had another cute idea! Do you think you could write a story with Trauma!Norman where he gets to spend the night at Cordelia and Roy's house? I think it would be adorable! Sorry if it's a stupid idea though. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Cordelia hadn’t had a sleepover since she’d been a child. Even then, she hadn’t had enough friends for it to be anything like sleepovers in the movies. But still, the sleepovers always felt special to her. And now she was having one as an adult. Wendy had been forced to go out of town for a day or two, leaving Norman with the Bell siblings for the night. Norman was rather excited, as he generally was when he got to do things with Cordelia and Roy.

“Are you sure this is alright?” Wendy asked as she hovered in the doorway. 

“It’s fine,” Cordelia assured her. “We’ll take good care of him while you’re gone.”

“Thank you. Again.” Wendy smiled tiredly. “I really can’t thank you enough for this.”

“It’s what friends do,” Cordelia said. Once Wendy was gone, Cordelia returned to the living room, where Roy was setting up for the ‘sleepover’. 

“Have you ever been to a sleepover, Roy?” Cordelia asked as she helped her brother lay out the sleeping bags. Roy paused for a moment, trying to remember. 

“Probably once or twice.” He said. “But I don’t think they were ever called sleepovers.” 

“I guess sleepovers are more associated with girls.” Cordelia shrugged. On the couch, Norman watched them, hugging a stuffed bunny to his chest. The bunny had been a gift from a student of Cordelia’s who had met Norman. The little girl had been particularly taken with Norman, and thus had offered the rabbit as a gift. Norman had held onto it ever since. 

“Do you remember ever going to a sleepover, Norman?” Cordelia asked, turning to the former projectionist. Norman shook his head, squeezing the plush bunny. He looked a little nervous being in a different house for the night. 

“I promise, it’ll be fun,” Cordelia assured him. Norman nodded slowly. 

“I’ll get the popcorn ready.” Roy got up and went to the kitchen. Cordelia sat down beside Norman, smiling comfortingly. 

“Do you know what a sleepover is like, Norman?” She asked. “It’s great! You get to watch movies, eat popcorn, tell scary stories, and stay up way past your bedtime!” She grinned. Norman smiled tentatively back.

“I’ve got the popcorn.” Roy returned a few minutes later balancing three bowls of popcorn in his arms. Norman’s eyes widened and he made grabby hands toward the bowl. Roy snorted, but handed it over. 

“There you go.” He said. “Don’t choke.” Norman immediately dug into the popcorn, stuffing handfuls into his face in delight. 

“Slow down!” Cordelia laughed. “You want to save some for the movie!” 

The movie they decided to watch was The Wizard of Oz. It seemed cute and harmless enough that it wouldn’t scare Norman too much. Unfortunately, he REALLY didn’t like the Wicked Witch of the West. They had to turn the movie off halfway through when he tried to throw his bowl of popcorn at the TV. The next half an hour was spent calming him down from his panic attack. 

“I should have known better.” Cordelia murmured as Roy got Norman to take deep breaths. 

“We’re all learning as we go.” Roy put a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

After that, they brought out some books and started to read to one another. Norman rather liked Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland as it turned out, especially when Cordelia and Roy did silly voices to go along with it. He fell asleep listening to them read. All in all, the sleepover didn’t go exactly as planned, but the siblings still managed to keep Norman entertained until the next day when his sister returned. 


	48. Chapter 48

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I have a cute idea! Do you think you could write a story with Trauma!Norman where Cordelia and Roy take him to the beach? I just think it would be super cute! I love the beach. Though they should probably make sure he doesn't get too close to the water, because he can't remember how to swim. (Wendy doesn't want him to get his clothes wet either because he'll catch a cold) Though I think it would be really cute to see him having fun! You don't have to write this if you don't want to though.**

It was the middle of summertime, and the Bell siblings were headed to the beach. Norman, naturally, was in tow. Roy hated the beach with a passion, so he’d tried to get out of going, but Cordelia had insisted he come. She needed help keeping Norman away from the water since he didn’t know how to swim. Roy had grumbled at this, but nevertheless came along. He refused to wear anything less than his usual full suit, despite Cordelia trying to get him to wear something more seasonally appropriate.

“You’re going to boil alive.” She chided him as they drove over. 

“If I boil, I boil.” Roy shrugged. “So be it.” Cordelia rolled her eyes, turning back to make sure Norman was doing okay. The former projectionist sat in the back seat of the car beside a bag of beach toys, bouncing up and down. Cordelia smiled softly. She was glad he was looking forward to this at the very least. 

Once they got there, they set up a few folding chairs and a beach umbrella. Roy settled down in the chair to read while Cordelia entertained Norman. She started by showing him how to make sandcastles, just as she had when she’d been a child. 

“And if you do this,” she packed sand into the bucket and turned it over, revealing a fully formed sand tower. “You get a turret!” Norman’s eyes sparkled and he clapped his hands together. 

“Now you try.” Cordelia handed over the bucket. Norman nodded definitively, taking the bucket and copying what he’d seen Cordelia do. Once he was done, he too had a tower. He pointed at his sand tower, making happy noises. 

“Good job!” Cordelia grinned. Just then, Norman’s attention was drawn away by the sound of a bell. It was coming from an ice cream cart being driven down the sidewalk. Upon seeing the ice cream cart, Norman’s eyes widened and he pointed excitedly towards the cart, tugging on Cordelia’s sleeve. 

“I don’t know Norman.” She said. “Wendy said not to spoil your dinner.” Norman made some insistent, and rather pitiful noises, turning on the puppy eyes.

“Oh, alright.” Cordelia smiled softly. “But just one, alright?” Norman nodded fervently and the two went up to buy some ice cream from the vendor. There was already a small crowd of children crowded around the cart, all screaming and yelling and pointing. Norman shrunk back from the noise. 

“Why don’t wait with Roy?” Cordelia suggested. “I’ll bring you back something.” Norman nodded again, slinking back to the safety of the umbrella. Cordelia bought three popsicles, bringing them back to their spot. 

“You got me one?” Roy raised an eyebrow as she handed them out.

“What? Do you not want it?” Cordelia asked, holding it away from him. 

“…I never said that.”

They spent the rest of the day making sandcastles and skipping rocks. Cordelia insisted they stay until sunset so that Norman could see the sun set. So they all sat together, watching as the sun set below the water. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Cordelia leaned her head on Roy’s shoulder. 

“It’s a sunset,” Roy said, although he was smiling as well. Norman yawned and curled up on the towel they’d spread out on the ground. 

“We should get him home.” Cordelia got up, gently getting Norman to his feet and helping him to the car. All in all, it had been a good day. She was glad they’d decided to come out here. 


	49. Chapter 49

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 4 Henry escaping the studio, and getting to a hospital? Except the doctors can't do anything to treat him? I think it would be extremely interesting. Sorry if this idea is stupid and kind of hard.. You don't have to write anything if you don't want to.**

She’d done it. Annette had succeeded in getting Henry out of that godforsaken studio and to a hospital. Unfortunately, the doctors couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. Even Annette didn’t quite understand what was happening to her friend, but she did her best to help. She tried to explain what had happened at the studio as best she could, and in a way, she thought the doctors might understand. Thankfully, a woman who’d worked as the studio doctor had been called in to assist. 

“So you’re telling me that this is some kind of virus?” Dr. Jackman said. 

“I don’t know if that’s all it is, but that’s what Henry made it sound like,” Annette replied, chewing on her lip. “He kept telling me not to touch him or I’d get infected.”

“Alright, no one touch him.” Dr. Jackman instructed the other doctors. “When you treat him, do so with protection.” The other doctors nodded and departed. Dr. Jackman took Annette aside, a grave look on her face. Annette glanced back at Henry, lying there in his hospital bed. He looked so small and frail and impossibly young against those stark white sheets. The ink had consumed nearly half his head and was staining the pillow.

“Miss Martineau, there’s no guarantee Henry will get better.” Dr. Jackman said, her hand tightening on Annette’s shoulder. “We don’t know how to fix this. Or even if we can. Whatever Joey’s done, it’s beyond anything we’ve ever seen before.”

“I…I know.” Annette nodded. “But he’s away from Joey. That’s all that matters.”

“Fair enough.” Dr. Jackman agreed. “I’ll go check on him, alright?” Annette nodded again, going to check on Vincent. Vincent had been instructed to wait in the waiting room while Annette talked with the doctors. He looked up from his book upon seeing Annette draw closer. 

“Is Henry going to be alright?” He asked, looking the slightest bit concerned. 

“He’ll be fine.” Annette forced herself to smile. “He’ll get better now that he’s out of the studio.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” 

“…Alright, you got me.” Annette’s shoulders slumped. She sat down beside Vincent, taking his hand in hers. 

“He has to be okay.” She said. “He has to be.” 


	50. Chapter 50

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 5 Henry and Annette? Except this time he's oddly passive? Like not trying to out-right attack her? I think it would be interesting to see him do that despite being in a mindless zombie-like state of mind. Sorry if this sounds stupid.. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Sorry this is short.

* * *

When Henry had turned, Annette had been sure he’d immediately attack her. He’d made it sound like he’d be like a wild animal. But he didn’t attack her. He just stared blankly at her, head tilted to the side. 

“Henry?” She asked, hoping her voice wasn’t wavering as much as she thought it was. Henry made a vaguely affirmative noise, moving closer. He acted as if he’d never seen her before. He was like a child discovering a new toy. He reached out to touch her and she flinched back. Henry made a sad noise and moved away. 

“It’s, uh, it’s okay.” She tried to assure him. “I just don’t want to be touched, alright?” Henry nodded, smiling at her. Annette moved away. Well, if he wasn’t attacking her, that had to mean he could be saved, right? 

“Do you know who I am?” She asked. Henry shook his head. 

“I’m Annette.” She explained. “I’m your friend.” Henry blinked, nodding slowly. He didn’t seem to understand what she’d said, unfortunately. 

“I’m going to get you help, I promise.” She said. Henry nodded once more before turning and walking away. Annette watched him go, guilt weighing heavily on her heart. 


	51. Chapter 51

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I know I already asked for a story earlier, but I had another idea. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, but could you please write another story with Trauma!Norman with John picking on him again? I'd love to see that guy get in trouble, he's a jerk! I want to see Wendy punch him in the face, it would be awesome! Though like I said you don't have to write this if you don't want to, I don't want to overwhelm or bother you. Sorry if I'm being annoying.**

John had yet to get in trouble for his actions at the shelter, despite having many complaints against him. They just didn’t have enough evidence against him, and he knew it. He was only working at the shelter as community service for his university, but thankfully he hadn’t been cruel to the animals. Only the humans. He also had yet to meet Wendy Polk. He was going to regret messing with her brother once he did. This time when Cordelia took Norman to the shelter, Wendy was with her. Norman had such good things to say about the shelter. It had made Wendy curious to see it. Cordelia, of course, had been more than happy to take them both. Just as in past times, John waited until Cordelia and Wendy had been separated from Norman to strike. 

“Hey, freak.” He sauntered up. Norman hunched his shoulder, his stance becoming almost feral. He knew this was a bad person to be around. 

“What’s wrong? Afraid of me?” John drew closer, putting his face right in Norman’s. Norman drew back, growling. 

“Geez, you can’t even act like a human being.” John laughed harshly. He tried to grab Norman by the shoulder but Norman reacted faster. He sunk his teeth into John’s hand. John shrieked and stumbled back, clutching his hand. Norman, thankfully, hadn’t broken the skin. But he’d wanted to. He growled again at John. 

“You little-” John stormed up and slapped Norman. 

“HEY!” John’s eyes widened and he slowly turned around. Wendy stood at the end of the hallway, looking positively furious, with Cordelia and one of the shelter administrators at her side. 

“Get away from my brother!” She screamed, running up and slugging him as hard as she could. 

“You people are crazy!” John yelled, pointing at Wendy. “Did you see what she just did?!”

“Mr. Williams.” The administrator said coolly. “I think it would be better if you left. If you’re lucky, Miss Polk won’t press charges against you.”

“She punched me!”

“And you deserved it.” Cordelia smiled tightly. “Now get out of here before I do something even worse.” John gritted his teeth, but turned and left anyway, yelling that he didn’t want to come back anyway.

“I’m so sorry about that, Miss Polk. We’ve been trying to get rid of him for quite a while now.” The administrator turned to Wendy, who was kneeling beside Norman. Her brother was practically hysterical, shaking and drawing into himself. 

“It’s okay. He’s gone now.” Wendy murmured, trying to calm Norman.

“I’ll give you some space.” The administrator bowed her head and left. It took quite a while to get Norman to a place where he was mostly alright, but they got there. Cordelia took some comfort in the fact that John most definitely was not coming back. 


	52. Chapter 52

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I know I already asked for a story earlier, but I had another idea. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, but could you please write another story with Trauma!Norman with John picking on him again? I'd love to see that guy get in trouble, he's a jerk! I want to see Wendy punch him in the face, it would be awesome! Though like I said you don't have to write this if you don't want to, I don't want to overwhelm or bother you. Sorry if I'm being annoying.**

John had yet to get in trouble for his actions at the shelter, despite having many complaints against him. They just didn’t have enough evidence against him, and he knew it. He was only working at the shelter as community service for his university, but thankfully he hadn’t been cruel to the animals. Only the humans. He also had yet to meet Wendy Polk. He was going to regret messing with her brother once he did. This time when Cordelia took Norman to the shelter, Wendy was with her. Norman had such good things to say about the shelter. It had made Wendy curious to see it. Cordelia, of course, had been more than happy to take them both. Just as in past times, John waited until Cordelia and Wendy had been separated from Norman to strike. 

“Hey, freak.” He sauntered up. Norman hunched his shoulder, his stance becoming almost feral. He knew this was a bad person to be around. 

“What’s wrong? Afraid of me?” John drew closer, putting his face right in Norman’s. Norman drew back, growling. 

“Geez, you can’t even act like a human being.” John laughed harshly. He tried to grab Norman by the shoulder but Norman reacted faster. He sunk his teeth into John’s hand. John shrieked and stumbled back, clutching his hand. Norman, thankfully, hadn’t broken the skin. But he’d wanted to. He growled again at John. 

“You little-” John stormed up and slapped Norman. 

“HEY!” John’s eyes widened and he slowly turned around. Wendy stood at the end of the hallway, looking positively furious, with Cordelia and one of the shelter administrators at her side. 

“Get away from my brother!” She screamed, running up and slugging him as hard as she could. 

“You people are crazy!” John yelled, pointing at Wendy. “Did you see what she just did?!”

“Mr Williams.” The administrator said coolly. “I think it would be better if you left. If you’re lucky, Miss Polk won’t press charges against you.”

“She punched me!”

“And you deserved it.” Cordelia smiled tightly. “Now get out of here before I do something even worse.” John gritted his teeth, but turned and left anyway, yelling that he didn’t want to come back anyway.

“I’m so sorry about that, Miss Polk. We’ve been trying to get rid of him for quite a while now.” The administrator turned to Wendy, who was kneeling beside Norman. Her brother was practically hysterical, shaking and drawing into himself. 

“It’s okay. He’s gone now.” Wendy murmured, trying to calm Norman.

“I’ll give you some space.” The administrator bowed her head and left. It took quite a while to get Norman to a place where he was mostly alright, but they got there. Cordelia took some comfort in the fact that John most definitely was not coming back. 


	53. Chapter 53

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea! Do you think you could write something with Henry being extremely close to Stage 5, running into Murray as well as some other searchers, and then tries to attack an infect him? (Because when a victim is extremely close to Stage 5, they can barely think and tell apart friend from foe. So even people in Stage 4 can be considered very dangerous.) Sorry if this idea is stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

People had always told Murray his absentmindedness would get him in trouble someday. He just hadn’t expected it to go quite the way it had. He’d been pacing the halls of the studio, regretting his choices the same way he had since he’d started working for Joey Drew. He rounded a corner and came face to face with an almost feral Henry, along with more than a few Searchers. 

“Ah, Henry.” Murray managed a nervous smile. “H-How are you feeling?” Henry growled and launched himself at Murray. The ink hadn’t completely covered his body, but his eyes were wild and panicked, like those of an animal. The Searchers attacked as well, forcing Murray to stumble backward. 

“Wait! I’m not going to hurt you!” Murray put his hands up. Henry didn’t seem to listen, trying again to attack. Murray wasn’t a combatant so he had absolutely no chance of fighting back against these creatures. He had to find Joey. Joey could control these monsters. 

“Mr. Drew!” He didn’t dare take his eyes off the monsters. “Mr. Drew, I could use your assistance!” Henry was advancing on him again, barely human anymore. The ink was starting to cover more of Henry’s body. He crept closer to Murray, growling and baring his teeth.

“MR DREW!” 

“What?!” Joey snapped, coming into view. He seemed rather peeved when he walked over, but upon seeing Henry his face split into a grin. 

“Henry!” He strode over, wrapping his arms around the other man. “Oh, it’s so good to see you progressing this well!” Upon their skin making contact, the ink quickly spread to cover Henry’s entire body. Henry went limp, placated by Joey’s presence. The other Searchers backed off as well. Murray tried to catch his breath. That had been a close one. He’d almost become infected. 

“I’m…I”m going back to the lab.” Murray mumbled. “I have research to do.”

“Go.” Joey made a shooing gesture. “I need some time alone with my dear, Henry.” Murray practically sprinted away.


	54. Chapter 54

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea! Do you think you could write something with Henry being extremely close to Stage 5, running into Murray as well as some other searchers, and then tries to attack an infect him? (Because when a victim is extremely close to Stage 5, they can barely think and tell apart friend from foe. So even people in Stage 4 can be considered very dangerous.) Sorry if this idea is stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

People had always told Murray his absentmindedness would get him in trouble someday. He just hadn’t expected it to go quite the way it had. He’d been pacing the halls of the studio, regretting his choices the same way he had since he’d started working for Joey Drew. He rounded a corner and came face to face with an almost feral Henry, along with more than a few Searchers. 

“Ah, Henry.” Murray managed a nervous smile. “H-How are you feeling?” Henry growled and launched himself at Murray. The ink hadn’t completely covered his body, but his eyes were wild and panicked, like those of an animal. The Searchers attacked as well, forcing Murray to stumble backward. 

“Wait! I’m not going to hurt you!” Murray put his hands up. Henry didn’t seem to listen, trying again to attack. Murray wasn’t a combatant so he had absolutely no chance of fighting back against these creatures. He had to find Joey. Joey could control these monsters. 

“Mr Drew!” He didn’t dare take his eyes off the monsters. “Mr. Drew, I could use your assistance!” Henry was advancing on him again, barely human anymore. The ink was starting to cover more of Henry’s body. He crept closer to Murray, growling and baring his teeth.

“MR DREW!” 

“What?!” Joey snapped, coming into view. He seemed rather peeved when he walked over, but upon seeing Henry his face split into a grin. 

“Henry!” He strode over, wrapping his arms around the other man. “Oh, it’s so good to see you progressing this well!” Upon their skin making contact, the ink quickly spread to cover Henry’s entire body. Henry went limp, placated by Joey’s presence. The other Searchers backed off as well. Murray tried to catch his breath. That had been a close one. He’d almost become infected. 

“I’m…I”m going back to the lab.” Murray mumbled. “I have research to do.”

“Go.” Joey made a shooing gesture. “I need some time alone with my dear, Henry.” Murray practically sprinted away.


	55. Chapter 55

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea. Do you think you could write a story with Annette running into Stage 5 Henry, and she tries to get him to wake up but then once she starts making progress Joey finds them and gets furious for her trying to wake him up? Sorry if this idea is stupid. Also sorry if I've been sending you too much prompts lately.. you absolutely do not have to write this if you don't want to.**

For as afraid as Annette was, she didn’t want to leave Henry behind. He deserved better than that. So, despite her better judgment and the warnings from Murray, she returned to the studio. She knew Henry likely wouldn’t recognize her, but the day had been saved in The Empty Child so she could probably do it too. She crept her way through the studio, keeping an eye out for anything even remotely resembling Henry. And she found him. He was just in a hallway, skulking along like all the other Searchers. He might have been made of ink, but he was still recognizable as Henry. 

“Henry?” She whispered. Henry turned towards her voice, but there was no recognition in his cold, dead eyes. 

“Henry, it’s me. Annette.” She knelt in front of him, putting a hand to her chest. “Do you remember me?” Henry just stared at her blankly before turning away.

“Henry!” Her voice came out sharper than she’d intended. Henry winced, becoming smaller. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” She lowered her voice. “I just…I need you to remember. I’m your friend.” Henry turned his head slowly. For a moment, just a moment, Annette thought she saw something in his eyes. Maybe fear, maybe hope, she couldn’t tell.

“Do you remember that Doctor Who episode I showed you?” Annette asked. “The Empty Child. It’s so weird how similar this is to that. Maybe Joey’s a fan.”  The barest hint of a smile passed across Henry’s face and he made a rough gasping noise that she guessed was supposed to be a laugh.

“It is pretty funny, huh?” She smiled back. “Joey would probably be scandalized by the idea that his glorious plans resembled a mere television show.” Henry was fully smiling now, starting to laugh. But as abruptly as he’d started, he stopped. He drew into himself, oozing backward. 

“Well, don’t you think you’re clever?” Joey hissed. Annette froze at the sound of his voice. Joey dragged her up by the collar of her shirt, hoisting her into the air with a strength someone his size shouldn’t logically possess. 

“What do you think you’re doing, Miss Martineau?” Joey asked, not so much smiling as baring his teeth. “You should know he can’t come back. Not from this.” Annette froze up, unable to move. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt on the verge of tears. 

“Aaw, are you scared?” Joey sneered. “You seemed so brave a moment ago.” Henry made a whining noise, pulling at Joey’s trouser leg. 

“What is it, Henry?” Joey asked testily. Henry whined again, tugging insistently. 

“Do you want me to let her go?” Joey raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze back to Annette. “Well, I suppose I am feeling generous today.” He let go of Annette’s collar, letting her tumble to the ground. 

“Leave.” He ordered. “And never come back.” Annette stumbled to her feet, trying to look defiant despite how badly her body was shaking. 

“I-I’m going to get him out of here.” She said. “I’m going to save him.” 

“I’d like to see you try.” Joey smiled cruelly. 


	56. Chapter 56

So, [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) is sick and wanted some more Stage 5 Henry and Joey, so I’m more than happy to provide. 

* * *

Joey didn’t like sharing. It was a petty tendency that had held on from childhood, especially when it came to Henry. Henry had minded, of course, but none of that mattered now. Now, Joey had Henry all to himself. Except, not quite. Henry wandered like all the other Searchers did when Joey wasn’t focusing on them. He mingled with Sammy on occasion, and Sammy was always flattered that his Lord’s favorite pet would deign to grace him with his presence. But most of the time Henry stayed with the others in the Hivemind. Joey hated it. Henry was  _his_. And Joey didn’t share what was his. He found Henry in the music room, listening to Sammy play. Sammy’s playing abruptly cut off when he felt Joey enter. 

“M-My Lord!” The musician stumbled to his feet, or lack thereof. 

“Save it.” Joey snapped. “What did I tell you about taking Henry from me?”

“N-Not to do it, my lord, but he just wandered in-”

“You should have brought him to me,” Joey growled, advancing on the unfortunate music director. “He’s  _mine_! You’ve done nothing to deserve him!”

“My apologies, my lord.” Sammy sunk to his knees, begging for forgiveness. “What can I do to repay you?”

“Just don’t do it again.” Joey’s lip curled in disgust and he turned to Henry. Henry just stared at him. There was nothing in those lifeless eyes of his. 

“Oh, Henry.” Joey cooed, cupping Henry’s face in his hands. “Did you miss me, darling?” Henry made a vague noise, possibly of affirmation. 

“Come along.” Joey straightened up. Henry followed him out of the room. Joey took him back to his office, then slotted himself into Henry’s arms. 

“I know you can’t hear me anymore.” He whispered into the inky chest of the thing that had once been his best friend. “It didn’t have to be this way. If you’d just stayed you could have kept your youth and your mind. We could have been happy, Henry.” Henry said nothing. Joey hadn’t expected any reply anyway. 

“But you’re here now.” He continued. “You’re here and you’ll never leave me again.”


	57. Chapter 57

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! Sorry if this is early, but I had another sad and interesting idea. Do you think you could write another story with Stage 3 Henry and Joey, where Annette accidentally witnesses the whole experiment and the corruption speeding up? (Annette is hiding so Joey didnt see her) But then Murray notices her, and tells her to escape? Sorry if this idea is stupid and hard. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Annette liked horror movies. Less so when it was happening to her friends though. This whole thing was more than a nightmare. Especially the thing happening with Henry. She just wanted to fix everything. She wanted him to be okay. Her heart had lept when they’d met up with Murray Hill and the scientist had offered to help them escape. She’d thought they would really be able to escape. But when she’d heard the squeal of the wheels of Joey Drew’s wheelchair, she’d fallen behind. He went right past her, immediately finding Murray and Henry.

“Well well well. What do we have here?” Joey’s voice chilled her to the bone. He was so much more terrifying in person. Annette poked her head around the corner. Joey’s back was to her. 

“Mr. Hill.” Joey had reached them.

“Mr. Drew.” Murray stood up as straight as he could, his eyes meeting Annette’s. For a moment, an expression of terror crossed his face. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. 

“I convinced him to help me escape.” Henry unsurprisingly got between the two men. “Don’t punish him.” 

“Alright then, I won’t,” Joey said. “I’ll punish you.” His hand snaked out and he grabbed Henry by his hair. Rising from his wheelchair, he began to limp down the hallway, dragging Henry behind him. As soon as he started down the hallway, Annette ducked out of sight. Her heart pounded in her chest. She was certain Joey would see her. But he did. He went right by her. 

“Come along, Mr. Hill~” Joey said in a sing-song voice. “We have work to do!” Murray ran after him, barely noticing Annette as he passed. Annette followed them at a safe distance, sure she wouldn’t like what she’d find. Once she reached the ink machine room, her breath caught in her throat. Murray was forcing ink down Henry’s throat while the animator writhed and struggled. The ink was beginning to consume Henry’s entire body. 

“Wonderful! I was wrong to doubt you, Mr. Hill!” Joey boomed, clapping his hands together. Murray turned away, tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyes met Annette’s and he whispered, 

“Run.” 

So she did. 


	58. Chapter 58

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey I know I already sent an ask earlier, but the story you made with Henry, Joey, and Murray was just so cool!! Do you think you could maybe write another story, where after Henry progressed into Stage 5, and Murray feels awful for what he did and tries to apologize (though it won't work since Henry's basically a mindless zombie) and Joey starts mocking and laughing at him for even trying? Sorry if this sounds stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to. It's fine.**

When they were alone, Murray apologized to Henry. He knew the animator couldn’t hear him anymore, but he apologized nonetheless. Henry had to know Murray hadn’t meant for things to go this way. He had to know that Murray didn’t want things to be this way. He had to know. So Murray fell to his knees and begged forgiveness from a man who wasn’t even a man anymore. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he stared up at Henry. 

“Please, you have to know I didn’t want it to end like this.” He sobbed. “I didn’t want to hurt people! I only wanted to make the world a better place!” Henry stared at him with sightless eyes, head tilted to the side. 

“Please, Henry,” Murray begged. “Just give me a sign.” Henry turned away, beginning to slither towards the door. 

“What are you doing?” Murray’s blood ran cold at the sound of Joey’s voice. The scientist turned around slowly. Henry had slithered right to Joey, stopping at the side of the small man. 

“I…” Murray struggled to find the words to explain himself, but none came.

“Were you trying to apologize?” Joey laughed, the sound harsh and grating. “So you feel bad for what you’ve done, hm? I thought you were stronger than that, Mr. Hill.”

“I’m not weak!” Murray yelled, stumbling to his feet. 

“I took you for a man of science, Murray Hill, not some bleeding hearted sissy.” Joey sneered, stroking Henry’s head. “I thought you could do what needed to be done.”

“And  _this_ is what needs to be done?” Murray asked almost in disbelief. “ _This_ is the greater good? Turning your best friend into a mindless monster is the greater good?!”

“He ran away from me!” Joey spat back, his eyes glowing blood red. “I could have given him everything he ever wanted! I could have made him a king! But he ran away! I  **had**  to bring him back! He belongs to me!” He stormed over, grabbing Murray by the hair and hoisting him into the air. 

“What do  _you_  know?”Joey snarled. “You’re no dreamer. You don’t have the imagination to understand what I’m trying to do.”

“You’re a monster!” Murray screamed. 

“If that’s what small-minded people like you think of me, then very well.” Joey shrugged, then brought Murray close so their eyes met. “But mark my words. I’ll be the last monster you’ll ever see.”


	59. Chapter 59

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: I just had a crazy idea and now I'm hyper. Lol! Do you think you could write a story with Trauma!Norman meeting Harriet Jackman? They probably saw each other a few times since they worked at the studio together, I think she'd be pretty surprised to see him (especially with how he behaves and acts due to the severe trauma to his mind.) I just think it would be super cool!! Maybe she knows Cordelia? You don't have to write this if you don't want to though, it's fine!**

Harriet hadn’t expected to see anyone from the studio ever again, save maybe Cordelia Bell. Cordelia’s brother came to the hospital quite a bit for checkups. He had a lot of damage to his body from an accident that had occurred years earlier. Harriet didn’t ask. She thought it was probably better not to reopen old wounds. In any case, when Cordelia showed up with Norman and Wendy Polk, Harriet was more than a little shocked. She’d assumed, like everyone else, that Norman was dead. She’d seen the distrust Joey regarded Norman with. She’d known if that boy didn’t stop snooping something bad was going to happen to him. She’d expected the result would be death, not…this.

“Norman?” She strode over to where the three of them were sitting. Wendy was cradling what appeared to be a broken arm while Norman held onto her good arm. Cordelia stood at the front desk, getting the ER paperwork. 

“Doctor Jackman!” Cordelia turned and her face lit up. “What are you doing here in the ER? I thought you didn’t work down here.”

“I got called down to consult on a patient,” Harriet said. “How is…How is Norman here? I thought he was dead.”

“So did I.” Cordelia nodded. 

“What happened?” Harriet asked, keeping her gaze firmly on Norman. “I know Joey Drew was involved in this somehow.”

“It’s….a long story.” Cordelia’s gaze slipped down to her hands, which had begun to shake. Harriet remembered treating the girl’s broken ankle years ago after Cordelia had gone back to the studio.

“I’m assuming all I need to know is that Joey did something to him.”

“Yeah.” Cordelia nodded. “Do you want to meet him?” 

“That would be nice.” Harriet smiled gently. The two of them walked over to where the Polk siblings were. 

“I got the paperwork.” Cordelia handed Wendy the papers. “Also, this is Doctor Jackman. She worked at the studio with me and Norman.” 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Wendy managed a small smile, despite the pain she was currently in. “I’m sorry if my brother doesn’t recognize you. He’s…been through a lot.” Norman regarded Harriet curiously, holding tighter to Wendy’s arm. There was no recognition in his eyes when he saw her. He reminded her very much of a child. 

“It’s alright.” Harriet smiled comfortingly. “I understand. Now, why don’t we take a look at that arm of yours?” As she reached for Wendy’s arm, Norman growled. 

“Normy, it’s alright,” Wendy said. “She’s trying to help.”

“Why don’t you help me, Norman?” Harriet turned her smile on him. “Could you hold your sister’s hand? I think she’s going to need your support.” Norman continued to look suspicious but held Wendy’s hand nonetheless. Harriet couldn’t help feel furious at seeing Norman like this. He’d always been such a bright boy. Joey Drew really did poison everything he touched. 


	60. Chapter 60

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I know I asked for a story earlier but someone gave me an interesting idea. Do you think you could try writing Stage 5 Henry and Joey, where he gets frustrated by Henry 'waking up' every so often so the next time it happen Joey tries to punish him? I'm not really sure how he'd do it though (and Joey doesn't want to kill him either). Sorry if this idea is stupid and hard. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, it's totally fine. I don't want to overwhelm you.**

Sorry this took so long and it’s so short. 

* * *

Joey didn’t like having his plans go awry. He wanted things to go his way, no matter what. Unfortunately for him, things weren’t going his way. Henry kept waking up from his state, which infuriated Joey to no end. He’d finally gotten Henry all to himself, but Henry just wouldn’t stay complacent. It was so frustrating. One day, he finally snapped. Henry had woken up when Joey had been cuddling him and had pushed Joey away, starting to scream. 

“That’s it!” Joey stamped his foot. “I have had enough of your disobedience!” 

“What are you going to do about it?” Henry asked. It might have sounded defiant if he wasn’t so damn tired. 

“You’re going to spend some time in the Dark Place.” Joey smiled tightly, striding over and pushing Henry down into the ink. Henry offered no resistance, simply slipping down into the cacophony of voices. Hopefully spending some time with the others would erase any ability of Henry’s to drag himself back together. The Dark Place had completely destroyed Sammy’s psyche after all. 

Joey waited patiently until Henry resurfaced, mindless and complacent once more. Joey smiled to himself. Yes. This was good. This was exactly what he wanted. 

“You’re mine.” Joey cooed, inserting himself back into Henry’s arms. “Don’t you forget it, dear.”


	61. Chapter 61

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have a really interesting idea! You always write Joey really well and I'd love to see a story with him and Harriet Jackman. Since she worked at the Studio and is a doctor maybe Joey would have to have checkups routinely because of his poor health and inability to walk? I just think it would be pretty interesting, she seemed to know that there was something really wrong about him. Sorry if this idea isn't good though, you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Harriet Jackman had agreed to work as the doctor for Joey Drew Studios as a favour to her daughter. Her daughter absolutely loved the Bendy cartoons and when the position had come up, she’d begged Harriet to take the job. Harriet had only agreed after meeting Joey Drew. Upon first meeting him, she’d felt pity for the poor boy. He was so frail, confined to a wheelchair. He was perfectly courteous when she met with him, but she walked away feeling as though there was something wrong with him. Not physically, although that was true, but mentally. He was just slightly off. As she worked under him, she began to discover that she’d been right. There was something wrong with Joey. He was in her office every day and they often talked while she checked him over. 

“How do you feel about belief, Doctor Jackman?” Joey asked her one day as she gave him his checkup.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Mr Drew.” She said. She was kneeling next to the examination table, checking Joey’s reflexes.

“I mean, how do you feel about it?” He repeated. “Do you think belief has power?”

“I think belief has as much power as we give it, Mr Drew.” She replied, tapping his knee. Joey’s leg jolted and he winced. 

“That’s an interesting view.” He smiled through gritted teeth. “Personally, I believe belief can be a remarkably powerful thing.”

“I suppose it can be.” Harriet moved to his other leg. “Belief has hurt a lot of people, though.”

“Yes, you’re very right.” Joey nodded. “But belief can do good. Belief can make you rich, famous. Belief can even help you cheat death.” Harriet frowned and looked up. Joey had a strange glint in his eyes, one she’d seen before. It never meant good things. 

“That’s an interesting idea, Mr Drew.”  She said, standing up. “But I think for now you’d better focus on working hard rather than trying to believe your dreams to reality.”

“You’ll see, Doctor.” He hummed, levering himself back into his wheelchair. “I’m going to do great things.” 

Then came the ink machine and the accidents that resulted from it. She brought up her concerns to Joey multiple times. Each time, though, he brushed off her concerns. 

“Everything is fine, Doctor Jackman.” He told her. “There’s nothing to worry about.” 

“Like Hell there’s nothing to worry about!” She snapped. “People are getting hurt! Do you have any idea how many injuries I’ve had to treat from that damn machine!”

“Doctor, please, calm down.” He smiled at her, that damn self-assured smile. She hated that smile. It didn’t take much more for her to finally quit, but when she did it was explosive. She’d been treating the banjo player when Joey had stormed in, demanding to know why she was sending his employees home. 

“What’s this I hear about you sending  **my** workers home?!” He demanded. “I need everyone here!” Drake took one look at his boss and made a beeline for the front door, leaving Harriet and Joey alone in the infirmary.

“Mr Drew, your employees are seriously injured,” Harriet replied coolly. “They can’t work like that. I’m doing the responsible thing, the  **legal** thing, by sending them home to rest.”

“You’re going over my head, Mrs. Jackman!” Joey roared.

“ _Doctor_ Jackman.” It was hard to keep the venom out of her voice. “Mr Drew, if you aren’t going to treat me with respect, I’m perfectly happy to leave.”

“Right. Doctor. I’m sorry.” Joey exhaled sharply. “I meant no disrespect. I just…I need everyone I can here.”

“I understand that, but you can’t force your employees to work in these conditions.” Harriet continued. “There’s ink everywhere all the time, it’s a hazard! Do you have any idea how many people I’ve sent to the hospital with ink poisoning?”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Joey said, leaning heavily on Harriet’s desk.

“Yes, it is.” She insisted. “Ink poisoning can result in nervous system damage! You could paralyze innocent children!”

“It’s all for the greater good!” Joey roared, slamming his hand on the desk. “So what if a few kids suffer? I’m going to do something amazing!” Harriet stared at him, her mouth wide open.

“Mr. Drew, you need help. Professional help.” She whispered.

“I’m fine!”

“No, you most certainly are not!” She turned away from him, beginning to pack up her things. She had to get out of here. There was no way she could stay with someone like Joey Drew as her boss. She had to call the police too. The man was deranged!

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?! I’m leaving!” She said, closing her bag. “You’re a madman, Joey Drew! And I can’t work under you any longer!” Joey couldn’t move fast enough to stop her from running out of the studio.


	62. Chapter 62

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I had an interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Trauma!Norman where he's at Cordelia's house and she's watching him, and then someone tries to break in? (maybe John because he's a jerk and he seemed to like Cordelia, and he would probably want revenge for getting fired.) Norman really likes Cordelia so he'd probably try to protect her. Sorry if this is stupid. You definitely don't have to write this if you don't want to. I don't think I thought this through too well.**

Cordelia was going to have to see Norman’s darker side at some point.

* * *

Cordelia had expected John to retaliate sooner than he actually had. She spent weeks on edge, expecting every day to be jumped. It didn’t come until about a month later when she was watching Norman. Roy was out at work, which was probably what John had been waiting for. Cordelia was in the kitchen, making some chicken fingers when she heard the front door being slammed open. She immediately knew something was wrong. 

“Alright, come on out you freak! I’m not done with you!” John yelled. Cordelia scrambled for the baseball bat Roy kept in the kitchen closet. In the living room, Norman froze and stared at him. He hunched his shoulders, drawing back like a scared animal. 

“There you are.” John sneered, striding over to stand before Norman. He had a small club in his hands. Norman’s eyes widened and he growled. John didn’t even get to raise the club before Norman was on top of him, screaming and scratching at all exposed skin. Cordelia ran in once she heard the screaming. She hadn’t expected John to be the one screaming in pain, though. She’d hoped she wouldn’t have to see the being known as the Projectionist. Norman was doing better now, she’d told herself. She wouldn’t have to witness anything from that studio ever again. And yet, the creature before her wasn’t Norman, not really. He was practically foaming at the mouth, attacking like a wild animal. In that instant, she was back at the studio, watching as Sammy shambled towards her with an aax It took everything she had not to break down crying there and then.

“Norman!” She yelled, hoping her voice wasn’t shaking as much as she was. Norman stopped and turned around, his expression feral.

“Norman.” She repeated, her voice softer. “It’s okay. You got him.” John whimpered underneath him. Norman stared at her, perhaps registering the fear in his eyes. He snapped out of his trance, hands falling limply to his sides. 

“Come here.” Cordelia knelt down, beckoning him towards her. Norman scampered over to hide behind her, his whole body shaking. Cordelia took a shaking breath and stood up, brandishing the baseball bat. 

“Leave. Now.” She said, her grip on the bat tightening. “I don’t want to have to call the police.” John nodded, getting to his feet and sprinting out of the house. She had a feeling he wouldn’t be bothering her again. She turned her attention back to Norman, dropping the bat. 

“Are you alright?” She asked. Norman shook his head. He started to cry. It wasn’t quiet crying, either. He was outright wailing. 

“It’s okay,” Cordelia assured him. “It’s okay.” She knew he didn’t want to be touched, so she just led him over to the couch and gave him his little stuffed animals. He latched onto the toy and held it close to his chest. The toy was enough to make him feel at least somewhat better. 

“You want some chicken fingers?” She asked. Norman nodded, sniffling a bit. She smiled softly, getting up and going to get the food. That could have gone so much worse than it actually had. She was just glad no one was dead or seriously injured. 


	63. Chapter 63

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: You remember that thing you wrote with Stage 5 Henry being quarantined in a hospital? Could you write something about him becoming lucid and having a conversation with one of the doctors before slipping back? Thanks so much! ^_^**

Sorry this took so long. 

* * *

Harriet was attending to Henry when he snapped back into reality. He’d been in a corner, there was no use trying to keep him in a bed anymore when he could ooze through the restraints, hissing and spitting. Harriet was prepared to defend herself once more against the thing that had once been her coworker. She entered the room carefully, hands up. Henry remained in the corner, staring warily at her. He’d determined she was no longer a threat, she assumed, since he hadn’t attacked her in days. She turned her back on him to check his vital signs. Then she heard him speak. 

“Doctor Jackman?”

“Henry?” She turned around slowly, unable to contain her disbelief. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m sorry.” Henry shook his head, drawing into himself. “I didn’t mean to attack you. I didn’t mean to-”

“I understand.” She cut him off. “It’s not your fault, son. Don’t worry.”

“But I tried to hurt you!” He began to shake. “I’m so sorry.”

“Henry.” She walked over and put her gloved hands on his shoulders. “I need you to help me figure out what happened to you.”

“Joey did this to me,” Henry replied. “I…I don’t know how he did it, but he did.”

“Did he have anyone’s help?” 

“There was a man…Murray Hill. I think…I think he’s involved somehow.” Henry could barely keep his eyes open. 

“Stay with me, son,” Harriet said, her grip on him tightening. “Who is Murray Hill?”

“I…I don’t know. I think…I think he might be a scientist?” Henry blinked sleepily. 

“Alright. I’ll look into him.” Harried nodded, letting go of him. “Thank you, Henry. I hope someday we’ll be able to fix this.” 

“You always were a great doctor.” Henry smiled vaguely. “We all missed you after you left.”

“I missed you too, Henry.” She smiled back. Then he was gone. Harriet sighed, her shoulders slumping. At least she’d been able to talk to him for a little while. This all came back to Joey Drew. That monstrous child. She would stop him. No matter what it took. 


	64. Chapter 64

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I had a really cute idea! Do you think you could write a story with Trauma!Norman where he gets to meet some of Cordelia's students? Norman might be pretty shy at first though. Sorry if that idea is stupid, I just thought it would be cute. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Oooh~ This is gonna be great!

* * *

Cordelia’s students were a curious bunch. They’d all heard that she’d worked at Joey Drew Studios, but she never talked about it. And recently she’d been putting up a lot of drawings in the classroom made by someone named Norman. Needless to say, they wanted to know what was going on. Theories ranged from the child of a boyfriend to an illegitimate son. When confronted, Cordelia had been forced to explain who Norman was. 

“I used to work with him at the studio.” She said. “He had an…accident and now I help take care of him.”

“Is he nice?” One boy asked. 

“He’s a very sweet man,” Cordelia assured him. 

“Why does he call you Cat Lady in the pictures?”

“I took him to the pet shelter I volunteer at.”

“Is Mr. Roy the ‘Spider Man’?”

“Yes, yes he is.” Cordelia couldn’t help but laugh. The children all exchanged glances. Thus began their plan to meet this Norman person. They were like 9, so they didn’t do too much research. Luckily, they didn’t have to prepare much since Cordelia brought Norman in one day. It was the last day of school so Cordelia was able to bring in a special guest. That special guest was Norman. And Roy. Roy was there too, but the kids had already met him. They’d been waiting in the classroom when Cordelia had come in with a man they didn’t recognize. He was tall and thin, with silver hair. 

“Miss Bell?” One kid raised her hand. “Who’s that?”

“This, kids, is Norman.” Cordelia gestured to the man. Norman hid behind Cordelia, making himself smaller as he watched the children. 

“Your hair’s really pretty, Mister Norman.” A girl said, giving him a big smile. Norman smiled shyly back, reaching up to touch his hair almost self-consciously. 

“We like your drawings.” A boy added. “Miss Bell always hangs them up and tells us about them.” Norman looked around the room at all the drawings, then at Cordelia. 

“I thought it would be nice to put your pictures up.” She explained. “I put up the kids’ pictures after all.” Norman made a happy noise and clapped his hands together. 

“Would you like to show Norman what you’ve all learned this year?” Cordelia turned to the children. They all nodded, scrambling for the instruments in the room. They couldn’t play very well, but Norman was still delighted to listen to them play. In addition, they recited back what they’d learned about music notes, all quite proud of themselves.

“Do you want to play?” One girl asked, going up to Norman with a xylophone. Norman’s eyes lit up. He made grabby hands toward the girl, who handed him the mallets. He plunked out a rough tune, just happy to be able to play. The kids gathered around with their instruments, playing along with him. 

“They’re so cute.” Cordelia leaned against her brother, who just nodded. He had his back to the kids as he was busy setting up the cupcakes for the children. 

“Alright, you little gremlins.” He said. “The cupcakes are ready.”

“Put away your instruments, everyone,” Cordelia said. “I don’t want frosting on them.”

“Yes, Miss Bell.” They chorused. They all put away the instruments and scrambled over to the table, crowding around Roy to get the cupcakes. 

“No shoving.” He handed them the pastries. Norman looked at the cupcakes, then at Cordelia, his eyes wide and pleading. 

“Yes, you can have a cupcake.” She sighed. Norman squealed, running over to get a cupcake of his own. Wendy was definitely going to be able to tell Cordelia had given him sugar. But it was a party. What was the harm?


	65. Chapter 65

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey, l know I already sent an ask earlier but I had an extremely interesting yet chilling idea. Do you think you could write a story where after Henry was taken to the hospital, he managed to progress into Stage 5? So then the doctors have to put him into quarantine? I think it would be super cool to have the doctors documenting it since they have no idea what they're dealing with. Sorry if this idea is hard and stupid. You definitely do not have to write this if you don't want too!**

Harriet Jackman had seen a lot of things in her time as a doctor. The stranger ones had been from her time at Joey Drew Studios. But she’d never seen anything quite like Henry’s condition. First of all, he was young as the day she’d first met him. Second of all, it seemed as though his body was slowly being consumed by some kind of sentient ink. She’d never seen anything quite like it. It was like some kind of parasite, and it was progressing fast. Almost all of Henry’s body was covered in the stuff. When he’d still been lucid, he’d insisted no one touch the ink with their bare skin. The other doctors had been skeptical about whether or not to follow his instructions, but Harriet had shut that down rather quickly. When it came to Joey Drew, you could never be too careful. They’d taken to treating him using hazmat suits, at Harriet’s request. They’d had to put him in restraints by this point as well. As the ink had progressed across his body, Henry had quickly started to lose his mind. Harriet had gone in to treat him and had been attacked. As she’d walked over, Henry had abruptly tackled her to the ground, growling and spitting. The other doctors had tried to call for security, but she’d waved them down. 

“Alright, Henry.” She said. “Let’s not do this.” Henry growled and swiped at the helmet of her hazmat suit. Harriet narrowed her eyes and in one deft movement flipped Henry over. 

“Janine!” She barked. “Get the restraints!” The resident nurse nodded and went to get the restraints. She returned a few moments later and together, they managed to restrain Henry to the bed. 

“I wish I didn’t have to do this, Henry.” Harriet sighed. “You were a nice kid.”

“What on Earth do you think could have caused this?” Janine clicked her tongue.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” Harriet admitted. “But if it has to do with Joey Drew, you know it’s gotta be weird.” 

“You never talk about what it was like working there,” Janine said. “You’ve got us all curious. “You talk about it like it was Hell. I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.” Harriet went quiet, staring down at Henry. 

“I don’t want to talk about it, Janine.” She said. “Let’s get back to work, alright?”

“Alright.”

After that, things only went worse. The parasitic ink managed to swallow Henry whole, and they were forced to put Henry in quarantine, lest he hurt one of the employees, or those two who came to visit him. It broke Harriet’s heart having to do that, but they had no other choice. Henry was a danger to himself and to others in his state. Some of her more enterprising coworkers were writing down everything in the hopes that they could study both Henry and what was happening to him. Harriet just found herself numb to the whole thing. She had to break the news to Annette when the girl came to visit Henry. 

“Doctor Jackman, what’s wrong?” Annette asked, immediately picking up on Harriet’s sombre demeanour. 

“It’s about Henry.” Harriet took her aside. “I’m sorry, but the ink has completely taken him over.”

“But you can help him, right?” Annette looked hopeful, despite both of them knowing there was nothing to be done. 

“We don’t even know what caused this,” Harriet said. “I doubt there’s anything we can do. I’m sorry Miss Martineau.” 

“I…Okay.” Annette looked away. 

“Don’t do anything stupid, please,” Harriet said. “Nothing good comes from messing with Joey Drew.”

“I won’t. I promise.” 

Harriet didn’t believe her. 


	66. Chapter 66

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: I am loving the things with how things are from Stage 5 Henry's perspective! Could you do one with how it feels when he becomes lucid?**

Sorry this is so short. 

* * *

As nice as it felt being under Joey’s control, waking up reminded him of just where he was exactly. Breaking free of the hivemind was like being thrown into an icy river. He felt cold, right down to his bones, and more awake than he’d ever been before. Why was the ink so cold? Henry couldn’t control when he broke free. It came from little things. Sammy’s music, Joey’s stories about their history, Annette and Vincent. Joey was never happy when Henry became lucid, which made those few clear moments even more awful. When not in the hivemind, Henry was suffering. He wondered if that was how Joey kept everyone in line. The bliss of the hivemind was like nothing Henry had ever experienced before, and when he wasn’t in it part of him wanted to go back. This terrified him. He didn’t have a lot of time to be terrified though, as Joey kept a tight leash on him. 


	67. Chapter 67

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting idea! I loved the story you made with Henry yesterday! Do you think you could try writing a story about what it feels like to be in Stage 5? From Henry's perspective? Because I love reading stuff about people who go mindless, I just think it's super interesting! Sorry if this idea is stupid or hard, I don't think I thought this through too well either. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's fine!**

I’m sorry this is so short. 

* * *

Being a Searcher wasn’t so bad, honestly. Henry wasn’t in any pain. He floated in the void, surrounded by so many others. Sometimes he communicated with the others in the void or Joey. Well, he didn’t do much talking when he was with Joey. Joey talked a lot and Henry listened. He didn’t have a lot say. Thinking of things to say was difficult. His mind was fuzzy. Every time he tried to think about something, anything, he found his train of thought derailed rather quickly. Sammy told him he should be happy. He said Henry had been blessed. Henry nodded slowly. He didn’t feel blessed, but he didn’t feel like much of anything else either. He didn’t feel anything at all. 

Most of Henry’s time was spent floating in between his body and the void. He didn’t know what happened when he wasn’t in his body. He assumed it just wandered around without his soul. He liked spending time with Joey. He didn’t remember a lot about Joey, but Joey talked kindly to him and said they were close. So Henry trusted him. Henry didn’t remember a lot about who he was, in all honesty. But Joey could tell him anything he needed to know. He was safe with Joey. 


	68. Chapter 68

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting idea. Do you think you could write a story about Henry and how he feels as he's transitioning into Stage 5? And maybe how it feels after, because I'm actually really interested in character perspective, and you're amazing at writing that kind of stuff. Sorry if this idea is stupid or hard.. you don't have to write this if you don't want to. Also I hope you're having a really great Easter!**

Thank you so much! I hope you’re having a great Easter too!

Becoming a Searcher was a strange process. Henry could feel himself slipping into the abyss with every passing moment. The voices were growing louder and his heartbeat was beginning to slow down. He would have been terrified if it wasn’t so hard to think. He was finding it hard to move as well. His limbs were like lead, feeling too heavy to move. 

“Come one.” He muttered to himself, trying to force his legs to move. He couldn’t let Joey win. He couldn’t let Joey get what he wanted. He had to stop moving a few times to cough up ink. His actions were sluggish and his mind was clouded. 

“Why is this happening to me?” He muttered, leaning against a wall. If he didn’t use the wall to walk, he knew he’d fall down and into the puddles of ink. That would definitely put him over the edge. 

> _Join us_
> 
> **Join us**

“I don’t want to hear it.” God, even talking was hard. The voices were getting even louder now. 

> _You’ll be one of us_
> 
> **We’ll be a family**
> 
> _It will be wonderful_

_“Come on, Henry. Just give in.”_ Joey’s voice whispered in his ear.  _“You’re so tired, aren’t you?”_ His voice was soft as silk, so enticing and comforting.

“I…I am,” Henry admitted. The fatigue was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. He just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep forever. It was just too much. 

 _“Give in to me, Henry.”_ He could feel Joey’s arms around him, dragging him down into the darkness. He felt like he was falling. His vision began to blur as he fell away from his body, watching as the ink finally consumed him. It was so strange, seeing himself like that. At that moment, all his fatigue fell away. It was warm in the darkness, and comforting. Among all the voices of his friends, he felt like he finally belonged somewhere. He wasn’t sure why he felt this way. 

 _“Isn’t it better this way?”_ Joey purred, pulling him close. “Don’t you feel better?” Henry nodded dumbly. His mind felt fuzzy, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt like waking up halfway on a Saturday morning. He smiled dreamily. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. 


	69. Chapter 69

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi. To be honest I'm having a panic attack right now and I really need a distraction. Could you please write a cute story with Trauma!Norman? Maybe they go to a restaurant so Wendy and Cordelia try to dress him up all nice? I think he'd be so cute at a restaurant, I bet he'd get some compliments about his hair. Sorry if this idea sounds stupid, I just need something silly and sweet to calm me down.. you don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's fine!**

I would be more than happy to write this. I’m sorry it took me so long to notice it.

* * *

It was Norman’s birthday and as a special treat, everyone was going out to dinner at a nice-ish restaurant. It was nothing too fancy, but it would be enough of a treat to make Norman feel special. Since they were going to a nice restaurant, they decided Norman needed to get dressed up. A suit and tie, perhaps. That was Cordelia and Roy’s birthday present to Norman. They got him a suit. 

“You really didn’t have to do this,” Wendy said as Roy presented her and Norman with the brand new suit. She’d known, of course, about the suit. Roy and Cordelia had asked her for Norman’s measurements so they could get him a suit that fit well. They’d gone to a tailor, a friend of Roy’s who made a lot of his suits. 

“He deserves to have some nice clothing,” Cordelia said. 

“Besides, a good suit looks good on everyone.” Roy gave her a small smile. 

“Thank you.” Wendy couldn’t help but smile as well. Norman was delighted by the new clothes. He always liked getting presents, after all. The problem came when Wendy tried to get him dressed. Norman may have been delighted by the appearance of the clothes, but putting them on was a different matter altogether. The suit needed to be broken in, so it was still a little starchy and stiff. Norman made whining noises, tugging at the collar as Wendy buttoned up his shirt. 

“Stay still, Normy.” She scolded him. 

“Reminds me of when we were little and Mother made you get dressed up for church.” Cordelia glanced over at Roy with a grin. “God, you always hated getting dressed up like that.”

“So you didn’t always wear suits?” Wendy seemed rather surprised. Norman was too. Roy was always so put together. Norman couldn’t imagine him dishevelled or dressed in anything less than a suit. 

“Oh, he used to hate suits.” Cordelia laughed. “Wasn’t until he got interested in movies that he started wearing them. He used to love overalls.” Norman’s eyes widened. He remembered someone wearing overalls. A man with freckles. 

“Wally used to wear overalls,” Roy said. 

“Yes, that’s right.” Cordelia smiled sadly. Norman nodded. Wally was the man with the overalls, he assumed. Wendy used this distracted to finish dressing Norman. Once he was dressed, they headed out in Roy’s car to the restaurant. 

“This’ll be fun, Normy.” Wendy smiled at her brother. 

“I’ve been to this place before,” Cordelia said. “If we tell them it’s Norman’s birthday, they’ll give him a free dessert.” At the mention of sweets, Norman made some happy noises and clapped his hands together. 

“Kid’s gonna rot his teeth,” Roy said.

“Oh hush.” Cordelia swatted at his shoulder. “Let him enjoy his youth.” Roy rolled his eyes. 

It didn’t take long to get to the restaurant. The hostess was very nice and showed them to their table. Norman looked around, dazzled by all the lights and the people. It was a rather nice restaurant after all. Wendy put Norman’s napkin in his lap and pushed in his chair. 

“Cordelia! Roy! Fancy seeing you here!” The waitress smiled upon seeing Cordelia and Roy. “I didn’t know you’d be coming here tonight!”

“Hey, Marie.” Roy waved tiredly. 

“It’s our friend’s birthday, so we thought we’d take him out for dinner,” Cordelia explained. “This is Norman and his sister Wendy.”

“Norman!” Marie’s face lit up. “Oh, she’s talked about you a lot, Mr Polk. Nice hair.” Norman shrunk back a little from this unfamiliar person, trying to hide behind Wendy. 

“He’s shy,” Wendy said. 

“Don’t worry, I don’t take it personally,” Marie assured her. “Anyway, happy birthday, Norman! I guess Cordelia told you patrons get a free dessert on their birthday.” Norman nodded fervently, perking up once more at the mention of dessert. 

“Dinner first, Normy,” Wendy said. Norman sat back in his chair, disappointed. 

“Anyway, can I get you all something to drink?”

The dinner was filled with laughter and stories. Cordelia told Wendy and Norman stories about the better days of the studio, of the time she’d spent with Sammy, Norman and Wally. She talked fondly of the pranks Wally had played on Sammy. 

“Despite all the pranks, they were still friends.” Cordelia shook her head. “They got on each other’s nerves, but they were there for each other no matter what.” 

“Of course, there was that time when Sammy thought you were dating Wally and he practically hung him off the projector balcony,” Roy added with a small smirk. “Now that was a sight to behold.” 

“He did what?” Wendy’s eyes widened.

“Sammy treated her like a little sister and he was even more protective than I’ve ever been.” Roy’s smile widened. “At one point, Wally and Dee were pretending to flirt and Sammy went full shotgun dad on the poor guy.”

“Poor Wally.” Cordelia sighed. “I tried to talk Sammy down but it didn’t work.” 

“Sammy was always a very strong-willed man,” Roy said. 

“Who wants cake~” Marie walked up with a small plate of cake. It had a small candle stuck in it. Norman made a happy noise, clapping his hands together.

“Thanks, Marie,” Cordelia said. “We’ll take the cheque now.”

“How much do I owe you?” Wendy asked, reaching for her purse.

“We’ve got this one.” Roy gestured for her to put the bag down. “Consider it our present to you.”

“Oh, you really don’t need to-”

“We want to.” Cordelia reached out to touch her hand. Wendy smiled, starting to tear up a little. Norman ate his complimentary cake, humming and rocking back and forth in his seat. He was rather pleased. This had been a good birthday. He’d gotten a plush from his sister as a gift and now this. He was glad he had such good friends. 


	70. Chapter 70

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have a sad and interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story where Trauma!Norman gets the flu, so Cordelia, Wendy, and Roy, take him to see Harriet? (Maybe Harriet will ask more questions about Norman as well?) Sorry if this idea isn't very good. Also I would've asked this earlier but my internet was out for hours. You don't have to write this if you don't want to though, it's fine.**

[A](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F13889616%2Fchapters%2F32615850&t=ZDA3MTgyNzRjYjUzYTE1N2RiZmQ0NTExNjBkMDMwNWVjOTcyNTE3MSxGZXMwbFYzaw%3D%3D&b=t%3Abf1mUcY3jG5LyWt2YecXMQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fqueenofcats17.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172432125885%2Fhi-i-have-a-sad-and-interesting-idea-do-you-think&m=0)fter seeing Norman at the hospital, Harriet couldn’t get him out of her head. Seeing him like that…so much of who he had been stripped away, it didn’t sit well with her. She’d worked so hard to distance herself from everything related to Joey Drew. She didn’t tell her children about the monster she’d found Joey Drew to be. After all, there had to be magic in the world. But regardless, she wanted to know what had happened to Norman Polk. So when Cordelia called her, asking if she’d do a house call for the Polks, Harriet practically jumped at the opportunity. She packed her bag and headed over. She still remembered the address. 

“Thank you for coming.” Cordelia smiled tiredly as she opened the door. 

“It’s no trouble.” Harriet smiled in reassurance. “You never did tell me what this was about, though.”

“The kid caught the flu.” Roy appeared behind his sister, looking tired and haggard. 

“Mm.” Harriet nodded and brushed past the Bell siblings. Norman was bundled up on the couch, sniffling and huddling under a mountain of blankets. Wendy knelt beside the couch, trying to get Norman to eat some soup. 

“How high is his fever?” Harriet asked. 

“102 degrees.” Wendy said, putting the spoon back into the soup and setting the bowl on the table. “He’s been miserable all day. I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, that’s not too bad. You’re doing the right thing by giving him fluids.” Harriet pulled out a washcloth and held it out to Cordelia. “Could you wet this with cold water?”

“Sure.” Cordelia headed for the kitchen. Wendy stifled a yawn, slumping against the couch. 

“You should get some rest.” Roy helped Wendy up. “Doctor Jackman will take care of him, don’t worry. He’s in good hands.” 

“Okay…” Wendy hesitated but stumbled to her bedroom nonetheless. Roy watched her go before collapsing into a chair. 

“How long has she been awake?” Harriet asked. 

“We’ve been up with him since yesterday.” Roy groaned, mussing his hair. “Kid won’t stay asleep. He’s like a fussy baby.”

“You’ve dealt with babies?” Harriet snorted. 

“I helped take care of Dee when she was little,” Roy said. “We’re about ten years apart, remember?”

“I remember.” Harriet couldn’t help but smile. Cordelia returned with the washcloth and Harriet laid it on Norman’s forehead. He whimpered and burrowed deeper into his blanket cocoon. 

“Poor kid.” Harriet sighed. 

“He’s been through a lot.” Cordelia nodded. Harriet got up, dusting her clothes off. Then she turned to the Bell siblings. 

“Tell me what happened to Norman.” She said. “I need to know.” Cordelia set her lips in a thin line, beginning to fidget with her skirt. 

“Joey grafted a projector to his head,” Roy said. “Inducted him into this strange ink hivemind too. It basically destroyed the kid’s mind.”

“Roy!” Cordelia hissed, slapping her brother’s shoulder. 

“She asked, Dee.” Roy looked over at her, his expression unbelievably fatigued. 

“I see.” Harriet nodded slowly. 

“That’s about all I can tell you.” Roy waved a hand in a gesture of finality. “That’s about all Dee knows too.” 

“It’s…I’m sure there are things we don’t know,” Cordelia said. “But honestly? I don’t want to know. I don’t want anything to do with Joey Drew ever again. He took away my peace of mind and I’m not giving him the satisfaction of taking the rest of me.”

“That’s understandable,” Harriet said. “I won’t press you.”

“I guess you’re leaving now.” Cordelia managed a small smile. 

“I have to get back to work.” Harriet headed for the door. “Make sure he gets plenty of rest and fluids. And take care of yourselves.”

“Will do.” Roy gave her a mock salute. Then Harriet was gone.


	71. Chapter 71

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting idea for a story! Do you think you could write a story where someone sneaks into the studio and Stage 5 Henry tries to infect them and succeeds? Sorry if this idea is stupid. I'm currently trying to write a story like this but I keep getting writers block, it's not going very well so far. You don't have to do it if you don't want to though, it's fine!**

I’ll do my best

* * *

There were many rumors involving Joey Drew Studios. People were terrified to go near it, for the most part. But, as always, there were still idiots who wanted to brave the studio to prove themselves. That was what one young man was doing that night. He and his friends, all drunk from a college party, had snuck out to the studio. They’d dared the young man to go in and bring back some sort of memento from the studio. 

“If you’re not chicken that is!” His friends said, making chicken noises. 

“Screw you guys!” The young man snapped, stumbling towards the door. “I’m gonna do it!” He opened the door and wobbled inside. The door slammed behind him. He walked in, looking around blearily. He was still too buzzed to be thinking clearly.

“Hey! Anyone here?” He bellowed. No one answered. He laughed to himself and continued barging in. 

Henry looked up at the sound of someone moving about in the studio. Someone was here. He had to find them and bring them into the fold. He disappeared into the ink, moving through the puddles until he found the intruder. It was a young man he didn’t recognize who was very clearly drunk.

“Man, this place looks awful.” The young man muttered. Henry growled and rose up from the ink. This place wasn’t awful! This was his home! This was  _Joey’s_ home! The young man turned around and his face went white, or as white as it could possibly go. 

“W-What the Hell?!” The young man stumbled back. “Who the hell are you?” Henry continued to growl, advancing on the young man. This man would pay for insulting Joey’s kingdom. He descended upon the young man, enfolding him in ink. The young man didn’t even get a chance to run. He drowned in the ink. Henry withdrew as the young man’s body converted itself into ink. He’d done well. Joey would be proud of him for this.


	72. Chapter 72

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting idea for a story! Do you think you could write something with Trauma!Norman, Cordelia, and Harriet again? I think she'd like to get to know Trauma!Norman a bit better. Maybe Cordelia invites her over while she's watching him? Sorry if this idea is stupid. I just think that Harriet is very interesting since she is a doctor! You don't have to write this if you don't want to though. It's fine!**

Sorry this took so long. 

* * *

After the flu incident, Harriet didn’t see Norman for a few weeks. Then, on one of Roy’s routine visits, he extended an invitation to her. 

“Dee’ll be looking after Norman tomorrow, so if you wanted to go over, she’d be glad for the help.” He said. 

“I’ll consider it.” Harriet nodded. “I always did like that Polk boy.” It was a pity he didn’t seem to remember her anymore. They’d never been close, but she’d always looked after him. 

The next day she went over to the Polk residence. When Harriet knocked, Cordelia opened the door. Immediately, the former assistant looked delighted.

“Harriet! It’s so good to see you!” She immediately pulled Harriet into a hug. “What brings you to Wendy’s house?”

“Roy said you were watching Norman today so I thought I’d help out,” Harriet said, smiling softly.   

“Well, I’m always glad for the help.” Cordelia stepped aside to let Harriet in. Norman was on the couch, coloring happily. Cordelia walked over to sit beside him. 

“Look who showed up, Norman.” She said. “It’s the nice doctor lady.” Norman looked up curiously. He did seem to remember her from the hospital. 

“You fixed Wendy.” He wrote on his sketchpad. 

“Yes, I did fix her arm.” Harriet nodded, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her chest at seeing him like this. “You were very helpful.” 

“I helped?” Norman tilted his head to the side. 

“Yes. Having a broken arm set is very painful.” Harriet explained. “It helps to have someone to hold your hand and make you feel better.” Norman grinned and clapped his hands together, happy to hear that he’d helped Wendy in some way. He liked this lady. She wasn’t like the people in the white coats he’d met in the White Place. This lady was nice and gentle and she’d helped Wendy. A timer went off in the kitchen, getting Cordelia up and out of the room. That left Norman and Harriet alone. 

“You know, I used to know you,” Harriet said. “We were friends once.”

“We were friends?” Norman frowned slightly. 

“I know you don’t remember, and you don’t have to, but I want you to know that I’m here for you.” Harriet reached out to put a hand on the couch near him. “I want to make sure you and your sister are safe no matter what.”

“You’re nice.” Norman gave her a big smile. 

“Thank you, I try.” 

She spent the rest of the day talking with Cordelia and Norman. She was glad that Norman was doing fairly well, despite everything he’d been through. Slowly, she managed to gain Norman’s trust. She told him about her kids, her husband, her life. He didn’t understand a lot of what she said but seemed happy to listen nonetheless. By the time she left, she felt better about the whole situation. Norman was alright. Not the same as he’d been before, but alright.

 


	73. Chapter 73

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an interesting and sad idea for a story! You said that Cordelia had went back to the studio to find out what had happened to Sammy, what if while she was there she ran into Norman as the Projectionist before Wendy did? I'm really curious to see her reaction to him like that. Maybe she escapes before he manages to see her? Sorry if this idea is stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's fine.**

Cordelia had never been a hero. She’d always been too afraid to do anything to stop the things that made her afraid. But she was older now. She would go in prepared. Joey wouldn’t be able to hurt her this time. When Roy went out for work, she took the bus out to the studio. No one gave her a second glance, although when she got off near the studio, the bus driver did stop her.

“You’re not going out to the Drew Studio, are you?” He asked. “That place has been abandoned for years now. A nice girl like yourself shouldn’t be poking around in such a dangerous place.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.” She said before pulling away. She had put on makeup, curled her hair, dressed well, and done her very best to look as if nothing was the matter. She was just a woman on a day out. In her little handbag, she had pepper spray and a pocket knife. She would have liked to have brought a gun, but her family didn’t own a gun, so that was out of the question. The studio certainly did look abandoned when she walked up. Vegetation had begun to grow up the walls, weeds peeking up through cracks in the pavement of the parking lot. Cordelia took a deep breath, slung her purse over her shoulder, and approached the door. The paint was peeling, the wood warm under her hands as she pressed against it. The door was unlocked. It swung open, the harsh sunlight barely reaching a few feet into the dark studio.

“Sammy? Mr. Drew?” She called out. Her voice bounced off the walls, echoing about. No one answered. She stepped inside. The wood creaked under her feet. Entering, it was like no time had passed at all. The lighting was dim, yes, but it had always been like that. She’d never really considered how eerie that made things. She began looking around. The first floor yielded nothing of note, save for the elevator shaft and the stairs to the music department being boarded up. As she slipped her way through the boards, she paused. She remembered Joey talking about taking Norman down to level 14 after the projectionist had been transformed. If he was still here…He deserved an apology from her. She’d let this happen to him. So she slipped through the boards and headed down to the music department. She simply passed through, making her way down to where the elevator was. No one stopped her, save for a few inky creatures that she dispatched with an ax she’d found. 

“Norman, I really hope you’re not still here.” She whispered, pressing the button for level 14. The elevator lurched downwards, about as smooth as it had been when she’d worked there. She tapped her foot on the floor, out of nervousness more than anything else. Her breath caught in her throat as she reached level 14. She remembered when Mr. Drew had built it. Grant had thrown a bit of a fit when he’d learned of the construction. They didn’t have the funds he’d said. For the most part, she hadn’t come down to this level. No one was ever there. But it had been fun at one point. A reminder of the whimsy Joey Drew Studios was capable of. Now…Now it was horrifying. Ink had flooded the level, covering the floor up to what Cordelia estimated was her calves. And there, skulking from one doorway to another, was Norman. 

“Norman?” She whispered, exiting the elevator to stand at the railing. The creature that had once been Norman Polk paused for a moment, looking around. He didn’t seem to see her, continuing on. 

“Norman!” She raised her voice, leaning over the railing. Once more, the Projectionist stopped to look around. The light from his projector swept over the ink. Why wasn’t he looking up? Suddenly, a strange deformed version of a Butcher Gang member limped out from one of the doorways. Norman turned around and let out an unholy screech, descending on the Butcher Gang member and tearing it apart. Cordelia gasped, backing up. 

“Norman, stop it!” She yelled, running down the stairs. As soon as she hit the ink, she knew she’d made a mistake. The Projectionist looked up, gaze landing on her. He shrieked again, barreling towards her. She screamed and retreated. He didn’t follow her up the stairs, thankfully. As soon as she was out of his line of sight, he turned and walked away, skulking back into darkness. Cordelia fell to her knees on the floor, breathing heavily. Without a second thought, she went back to the music department. 


	74. Chapter 74

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had this idea for awhile since I saw a playthrough of Chapter 4. Do you think you could write a story with Stage 3 Henry after the battle with Boris? And then when 'Alice' is killed, the perfect Alice and other Boris react to seeing that Henry is infected? Sorry if this idea sounds hard or stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to. It's fine.**

I’m more than happy to write this.

* * *

Of course he would have to fight a twisted version of his friend while he was suffering from Joey’s bullshit. Henry couldn’t move too terribly quickly due to the ink spreading across his form, but he managed to destroy the Franken-Boris. It wasn’t easy, both physically and emotionally. He knelt over the form of his constant companion, watching as Franken-Boris melted into ink. He felt a tear rolling down his cheek. Or maybe that was just ink. He was just so tired. He wanted to go home. Suddenly, he heard someone screaming. He looked up to see “Alice” running towards him, screaming. Henry stumbled to his feet before backing up. He couldn’t fight again. Before she could get to him, though, a blade pierced her chest. The blade was withdrawn and “Alice” fell to the ground. Henry looked from her fallen body to his saviors. A perfect Alice and a Boris with a mechanical arm. 

“Are you alright?” The perfect Alice asked. 

“A-Alice?” Henry stammered. 

“Allison.” She corrected him. 

“He’s infected.” The Boris growled in a low, gravelly voice. 

“Wait, Thomas?” Henry knew that voice from the recordings. That voice was unmistakable. 

“Yeah.” Thomas nodded. “What’s it to you?”

“Oh, God.” Allison’s eyes widened and she took a step back. “You’re right. He is infected.” Henry opened his mouth to ask if they knew anything but stopped, feeling bile rising in his throat. He had to kneel down to throw up a large amount of ink.

“We can’t take him with us,” Thomas said, trying to keep his voice low. “He’ll turn and then he’ll be a mindless searcher under Joey’s control.”

“I know…” Allison glanced back at Henry, who was still vomiting on the ground. “But we can’t just leave him here. Maybe-”

“Maybe nothing, Alli.” Thomas cut her off. “Even if he manages to drag himself back like Sammy’s flock, it’s gonna take awhile. We can’t compromise our hideout.”

“Okay…” Allison’s shoulders slumped and she hung her head. 

“I…I’m sorry.” Henry managed to rasp out, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “I don’t want to put any of you in danger.”

“It’s nothing personal.” Thomas’ expression turned to one of sympathy, or at least as close to sympathy as his face could manage. “We just can’t have Joey find us.” Henry could hear Joey screaming in the back of his head. Evidently, Joey hadn’t anticipated this outcome.

“I never introduced myself.” Henry smiled weakly. “My name’s Henry. It’s nice to meet you.” Allison and Thomas both audibly gasped. 

“Henry…As in Joey’s former business partner?” Allison asked. 

“No wonder you’re infected,” Thomas said, his grip on the pipe tightening. “Joey really wants you.”

“I noticed.” Henry nodded grimly. “I don’t know how long I can hold out.” 

“Go back to Sammy’s flock,” Allison said, gently. “They’ll take care of you.” Henry nodded, limping away back towards the Lost Ones. Allison and Thomas waited until Henry was gone before going their own way. 

“We shouldn’t have left him,” Allison said. “He deserved better.”

“We can’t reverse what’s happening to him.” Thomas put a hand on her shoulder. “If he makes it out of this safely, we can go back for him.”

“Alright.”


	75. Chapter 75

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi have an interesting idea for a story, do you think you could write a story with Stage 5 Henry and Alice? What if it was toon Alice, and she felt guilty about what happened even though it's not her fault. Sorry if this idea is stupid or hard.. I ran out of my ADD pills so I'm having trouble thinking things through. You don't have to write this if you don't want to. It's fine.**

Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to write this.

* * *

Alice had been skeptical of Joey from the moment she’d been created. His reasoning just made no sense. It was obvious he didn’t mean well, especially with all he’d been doing with Murray Hill. This had become clear when Henry had arrived at the studio and became infected with the ink. Alice had wanted to help him, really she had. She’d done everything she could to get Henry out without Joey noticing. But as the infection progressed, she realized Henry couldn’t get out without infecting everyone else outside. So she resigned herself to watching over Henry while he was in the studio. She’d sing to him, conveniently keep him away from Joey for as long as she could. Joey never suspected she might be trying to sabotage him. She was an angel after all. She could never do anything wrong. Things were….fine. They were fine. Everything was fine. She definitely didn’t feel guilty. Of course not. Except…One day Henry found her crying. He tilted his head to the side and oozed closer. 

“I-I’m fine.” She said quickly, trying to wipe away the fat black tears. Henry frowned, knowing even in his addled state that she was not alright. He laid his head on her knees and made a huffing noise, almost like a dog. 

“You’re really not leaving until I tell you what’s wrong, are you?” Alice couldn’t help but smile slightly. Henry nodded.

“I just…I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I didn’t want this to happen to you. I wish I could have stopped him. I should have stopped him.” Henry didn’t understand what she was saying, unfortunately, but he nuzzled up to her all the same. He didn’t want her to be sad. Joey said she was important, and he knew somehow that she was important, so she shouldn’t be sad. 

“Thanks.” She tried to ruffle his hair but only succeeded in moving his ink around. “You’re just as sweet as Joey said you were.” Henry perked up a bit at this. He liked it when Joey praised him. Alice’s smile grew sad. Henry had been such a kind and courageous man. He deserved far better than this. She should have done something before Henry had been infected. Should have stopped him from continuing.  

“Ah! There you are, Henry! Are you having fun with Alice?” She tensed when Joey entered, but tried to smile. Henry nodded, oozing over to Joey and rubbing up against his leg like a cat. 

“Hello, Joey,” Alice said. 

“Hello, Alice.” Joey smiled brightly at her. “How are you today, my angel?”

“I’m doing very well,” Alice replied. There was a long period of silence. 

“Well, Henry and I should get going.” Joey patted Henry’s head. “Come on, Henry.” Alice stared at her lap as Joey dragged Henry away. She started crying again as soon as they were out of the room. She should have done something.


	76. Chapter 76

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I'm having a panic attack again and I really need something to distract me. Could you please write a story with Trauma!Norman and Wendy? Maybe before he gets out of the psychiatric hospital, and she's visiting and spending time with him? Sorry if this idea is hard or stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

I’m more than glad to help.

* * *

It broke Wendy’s heart seeing her brother reduced to such a state. He’d always been there for her, never failing to comfort her when she needed him most. Now her strong, kind big brother was gone. He’d been reduced to little more than an animal by that studio and these awful people. Still, there were times when she could see the man he’d once been. She was visiting that day, as she often did, and she’d brought some crayons along. 

“I thought you could use these to talk with me.” She said, presenting him the sketchpad and crayons. She’d been working on teaching him how to read and write again and it was going rather well if she did say so herself. Norman regarded the tools curiously before taking out a crayon and starting to scribble. Then he held up the sketchpad. On it was a picture of a girl, with ‘Wendy’ written next to it in a childish scrawl. 

“That’s right!” She nodded enthusiastically. “I’m Wendy!” Norman perked up, his whole face lighting up with glee. He started flapping his hands in excitement. Norman put the sketchpad down and flipped to a new page, starting to scribble again. When he held it up again, there were two figures on the page now. One was obviously supposed to be her, but the other looked to be a man, but with his head crossed out. 

“Is that…you?” Wendy asked, pointing to the man with the scribbled out head. Norman nodded, looking expectantly at her. 

“It’s a lovely drawing.” Wendy forced a smile. Norman grinned, going back to drawing. They spent the afternoon like that. Wendy would read to him from picture books and Norman would draw pictures for her. 

“What’s your favorite story?” Wendy asked as she finished a book of fairytales. Norman cocked his head to the side in thought, sticking his tongue out a little bit. Wendy tried not to giggle. 

“Snow White.” He wrote after a moment. “Nice lady. Like you.” 

“Thank you so much, Normie.” She teared up a little. She was glad her brother didn’t hate her like he hated the other people he’d met. She wanted to take him out of this place. He deserved so much better. 

“Miss Polk, visiting hours are almost over.” A nurse poked her head in. Norman’s head spun around and he growled at the nurse, moving closer to Wendy. 

“Ssh, it’s alright.” Wendy didn’t touch her brother, not knowing how he’d react, but she whispered gently to him. He calmed at the sound of her voice but glared suspiciously at the nurse. The nurse just sighed and left the room. 

“It’s going to be alright,” Wendy assured her brother. “I’m going to get you out of here.” No matter what it took.


	77. Chapter 77

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have another interesting idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 3 or 4 Henry and the Lost One's reaction to him being corrupted? I just think the Lost Ones are really interesting. Sorry if this idea isn't good. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

I don’t mind. I like writing the Lost Ones

* * *

When Henry stumbled into the room the Lost Ones resided in, he could barely think straight. The voices of the ink screamed in his mind, begging him to join them in the bliss of oblivion. The Lost Ones all immediately looked up from what they’d been doing. They didn’t get very many visitors after all. They were surprised when they saw it was Henry. What was he doing this far down? Had he wandered here by himself?

“What the-?” Henry swayed in the doorway. 

“Henry?” They asked. 

“How…How do you all know my name?” Henry wasn’t even sure what he saw was real. He’d been hallucinating ever since he passed into stage 3.

“Oh, Henry.” They watched him mournfully. Henry took a step inside, then collapsed to the ground, coughing violently. Ink dribbled down his chin as he fought desperately to breathe. They rushed to his side, propping him up so he wouldn’t choke. 

“Why is this happening to me?” Henry practically whimpered. He felt horrible. Both hot and cold at the same time, and so unbelievably tired. He wanted to go to sleep forever. 

“We’re so sorry.” They replied, stroking his hair. “We wish we could do something.” Once someone was corrupted, there was no way to reverse the process. They knew that better than anyone. They’d railed against their fates for such a long time. But anger could only keep them warm for so long. 

“I just want to go home,” Henry said. He never should have answered Joey’s letter. He’d been a fool to think that anything good would come from it. Joey would never change. 

“We know.” They kept stroking Henry’s hair, as though he were a child. “We do too. We all want to go home.” But they couldn’t go home, no matter how hard they tried. Joey held dominion over them. They had to do whatever he said. Soon, Henry would be just like them. They could feel Joey searching for Henry through the channels of the ink. He’d find him soon enough. 

“Joey will be here soon.” They said. Henry curled up into a little ball. He was so tired. Surely it wouldn’t hurt just to give in, right? It wouldn’t be so bad, being an ink creature. The Lost Ones knew they should at least try to keep him from transforming further, but it would be inevitably useless. There was no stopping it. 

“We’re sorry.” They said again. “We’re so so sorry.”  Henry gathered himself together enough to give them all a weary smile. 

“It’s not your fault.” He assured them. “You’re all victims, just like me.” Some of them began to sob, retreating to their corners. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. Why them? They’d just been doing their jobs.


	78. Chapter 78

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I just had a cool and sad idea for a story! Do you think you could write something with Stage 4 Henry and the Lost Ones? I think it would be awesome if he encountered them, and they feel sorry for what he's going to become. Sorry if this idea is stupid and hard though. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

They’d felt Henry arrive in the studio. They’d felt the infection take hold in him. They’d felt him beginning to slip. They wished they could help him through it, but they didn’t dare leave their room on level S. They knew that Henry was special to Joey so they didn’t dare interfere. 

“He should consider himself lucky!” Sammy said when they brought up their concerns to him. “He’s been blessed by our Lord!” They didn’t push the subject. When it came to ‘His Lord’, there was no reasoning with the former music director. They just hoped Henry visited them so that they’d be able to help him as best they could. They might not have been related by blood, but they were family now. 

When Henry finally arrived at their sanctuary, they assumed another Searcher had just wandered down. Searchers sometimes followed Sammy back to the sanctuary. It happened occasionally and they’d always take care of the Searchers until Sammy took them back to the upper levels. Upon looking closer, though, they could tell he was different from the others. He still looked mostly human. 

“Henry?” One of them drew closer. They knew that face. They knew  _him_. Henry tilted his head to the side, moving into the room. It was obvious he didn’t recognize any of them. Why would he? They didn’t look human anymore. 

“Oh, sweetheart.” They dropped to their knees, crowding around him and hugging him. Henry didn’t pull away, as he did with others who wanted to touch him. These people were of the ink so he knew he could trust them. Some of them began to cry. Becoming a Searcher was pretty much the worst thing that could happen to someone. At least they had their mostly human forms and memories. Henry had nothing anymore. Nothing but Joey. 

“Do you still think he’s lucky?” They asked, looking back at Sammy. Sammy said nothing. 

They kept Henry with them for as long as they could, telling him stories and trying to make him happy. They wanted to see him smile and know he was happy for the moment. Of all of them, Henry had it the worst. They wanted to make his existence just a little bit easier. By the time Joey finally came down to collect Henry, they were satisfied. They would definitely try to see him again. They couldn’t fix him, but they were going to try to bring him back.


	79. Chapter 79

**[liliflower137](https://liliflower137.tumblr.com/) asked: Could you write something else with stage 4 Henry trying to resist Joey? I don't have any specific ideas (sorry) but I love those ones you've been doing so much :D**

Sorry this took so long. Class and all that. 

* * *

Henry did not enjoy being infected by the ink. Especially since he couldn’t get any sleep due to Joey’s constant voice in his mind.  By the time Henry entered stage 4, he was practically worn down. He’d been listening to Joey for so long. It just never stopped. Presently, he was sitting in Boris’ safe house, staring at the ceiling and listening to Joey prattle on. 

“Joey, I’m trying to sleep.” Henry groaned, hand over his eyes. “Could you shut up for five minutes?” Joey stared at him, almost offended. 

 _“Have you been listening to me at all?”_  Joey asked, hands on his hips. 

“Yes, I’ve been listening. But I want to sleep right now.” Henry didn’t remove his hands from his face. Joey’s jaw very nearly dropped. It was as though everything he’d been saying had simply gone in one ear and out the other. Joey was furious. He crossed the room and grabbed Henry by the neck, unable to control himself as anger took over. 

 _“You listen here, Henry,”_ Joey growled, his appearance becoming demonic.  _“You are mine. Now and forever.”_  His eyes burned an unearthly red.

“Put me down.” Henry spat. He was too tired to deal with this right now. 

 _“Why can’t you just do what I say?”_  Joey asked. His expression changed to one of sadness and concern.  _“I only want what’s best for you, Henry.”_

“Bullshit,” Henry said. “You just want to control me. That’s what you’ve always wanted. You’re a manipulative bastard and I don’t know why I was ever friends with you in the first place.” Joey’s face twisted into a snarl momentarily, then his face went blank and he began to smile. 

 _“Come now, Henry. You don’t really believe that, do you?”_  He purred, letting Henry down and wrapping his spectral arms around Henry’s shoulders. _“I love you. I’ve always loved you.”_

“You don’t love me.” Henry refused to look at Joey, closing his eyes. 

 _“But I do. I’ll always be there for you Henry. That girl will grow old and die. But me? I’ll be here for you until the end of time.”_  Joey kissed his cheek and for a moment, Henry wasn’t covered in ink. For a moment, he was human again. Then reality came crashing back on him. 

“I just want this to stop,” Henry said, turning away. “I want to sleep.”

 _“Just give in and I’ll let you sleep.”_  Joey cooed, nuzzling his cheek against Henry’s.  _“You’ll be happy with me, I promise.”_  Henry hesitated. He knew full well that he wouldn’t be happier if the ink took him. He’d seen what had happened to the others. 

 _“You won’t be like the others,”_  Joey said.  _“You’ll be happier. I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”_

“I’ll just be your puppet.”

 _“You’ll be my king.”_  Joey turned Henry’s head so they were looking into each other’s eyes. 

“I’ll never be happy with you. You have to know that.” Henry was so tired. He didn’t have any fight left in him. Joey kissed him, and Henry felt his resistance slipping away. 


	80. Chapter 80

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I have an interesting and sad idea for a story. Could you please write something with Annette and Boris? Maybe she feels guilty about leaving Henry, and wants to help him through what he's going through but Boris won't let her go back? Sorry if this idea isn't very good. I just think it would be interesting to see her perspective on what happened. You don't have to write this if you don't want though, it's okay.**

Poor Annette. This is gonna be rough for her. 

* * *

Annette was kicking and screaming the whole way to the Heavenly Toys department. When Boris finally set her down, she was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. 

“We can’t just leave him!” She yelled, stamping her foot. “He needs our help.”

“He would have infected you.” Boris signed. “He can’t control his actions anymore.” She and Henry had found a while ago that Boris couldn’t speak. He knew sign language, though, and used that to communicate.

“But-”

“No buts.” Boris cut her off. “I don’t want you getting hurt because of Henry. It’s too late for him, but not for you.”

“But he’s my friend!” Annette insisted. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she didn’t want to leave Henry. He tried so hard to be cheerful, but she knew he was a very lonely person. He didn’t have a lot of friends anymore. She didn’t want to abandon him when he was in such a difficult position. 

“I know it’s hard,” Boris said. “I don’t like it either. But he’s too far gone now. He’s basically Joey’s puppet.”

“There has to be some way to save him,” Annette said weakly. 

“I’ve seen it happen before,” Boris said. “There’s no way back.”

“There must be some way.” Annette looked pleadingly up at him. “You must have learned something from all this.”

“Nothing that would help us,” Boris replied. “A return to humanity, especially at such a late stage…It’s practically impossible. Besides, Joey wants Henry to be his more than anything. He’ll stop at nothing to keep him here. There’s nothing we can do.” 

Annette’s shoulders slumped and she stared down at the ground. Boris gently lifted her chin so she could see him. 

“I’m going to get you out.” He said. “I promise.” 

“I don’t want to get out without Henry.” She insisted. Boris sighed heavily. 

“Awful loyal, aren’t you?”

“He needs someone in his corner.” Annette almost sounded indignant on the matter. “He doesn’t have anyone anymore. He needs someone to care about him. Someone who’s not Joey.” 

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that.” Boris nodded. “But there’s really no way to help him. He’s too far gone.”

“Is that all you have to say?” Annette snapped, unable to stop herself. “Can’t you be a little more positive?!” She immediately regretted her words, watching as Boris’ ears flattened against his head. 

“Sorry.” He said. “I’m just trying to be realistic.”

“No, I should be apologizing.” Annette sighed. “It’s just…I don’t want to give up on him is all.”

“I know. I was like that at first. Didn’t do me much good.” Boris shrugged slightly.  Annette rested her head against Boris’ chest, on the verge of tears once more. She didn’t want to lose Henry. Boris held her gently, patting her back. He would be there for her, no matter what. For Henry’s sake, he was getting her out.


	81. Chapter 81

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I'm actually super stressed out right now because I'm going to my grad dinner dance tonight. I really need a distraction. Could you write another story with Stage 4 Henry and Annette? Maybe this time Joey tries to force him into corrupting her again, but this time Boris realizes what's happening and stops Henry, and helps Annette escape? I just really liked the psychological horror aspect of it yesterday! Sorry if this idea isn't good. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

I’m sorry you’re not feeling great.

* * *

Boris had noticed that Henry wasn’t doing too well. He’d been keeping a close eye on Henry ever since he’d rescued him and Annette. He could hear Henry muttering himself whenever Annette wasn’t nearby. Probably fighting with Joey. Boris remembered his own experiences with Joey and he did not remember them fondly. Joey was the stuff of nightmares nowadays. Boris just hoped Henry wouldn’t give in. 

Unfortunately, Henry was quickly being worn down. He was so tired of fighting. He couldn’t even sleep without Joey invading his dreams, constantly wheedling and begging and trying to influence him. Joey’s voice was starting to sound sweeter and sweeter.   

“Please, Joey,” Henry begged as he laid alone in the safehouse bedroom. “Just leave me alone. I just want to sleep.”

 _“You know what you have to do to get me to stop.”_  Joey purred, taking Henry’s face in his spectral hands.  _“Just one teensy little thing, Henry.”_  Henry stared up into Joey’s eyes, transfixed.

“Henry?” Annette opened the door and poked her head in. “Are you alright? I heard you talking to someone.” 

 _“She’s right here. You can do it.”_  Joey reappeared behind Henry, massaging his shoulders.  _“Just reach out and touch her.”_

“Henry?” Annette walked closer. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Henry’s breath hitched. It would be so easy to close the distance between them and force ink down her throat. He could do it. Then Joey would stop and he could finally rest. He was reaching for her when Boris came in. Before Annette knew what was going on, Boris was snatching her away. Henry fell to the ground, most of his body consumed with ink.

“Let…Me…Take her…” Henry gasped, forcing himself to his feet. 

“Henry, what are you doing?” Annette asked, a note of panic entering her voice. Boris didn’t wait for an answer. Hoisting Annette over his shoulder, he ran out of the safehouse. Henry gave chase, although he didn’t move that quickly. Joey was screaming in Henry’s mind, causing Henry to stop and put his hands over his ears. 

“Stop! Please! I’m sorry!” Henry whimpered, falling to his knees. Joey stopped and took a few deep breaths. 

 _“That’s alright. It’s alright.”_ Joey exhaled through his teeth. _“We’ll get her. We will get her.”_ Henry nodded mutely, letting the ink finally claim his mind and body. Joey hummed at this development, his mood lightening a bit. This was good. It was certainly one less thing to worry about


	82. Chapter 82

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I have an awesome idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 4 Henry and Annette, where they're in the safe house together and Joey is trying to influence him into corrupting her? And Henry tries his best to fight it off? I'm actually working on a story like that now, but I'm having trouble with it. Sorry if this idea isn't very good. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

More delightful psychological horror. I think I’m starting to get good at this. :D

* * *

They were safe now. Boris had seen to that. They were safe. But Henry was still infected and it was progressing fast. He could hear Joey’s voice in his mind, as well as the voices of the others trapped in the hive mind. They called out to him, their voices soft and inviting. Joey’s was the most inviting of all. 

 _“Henry~”_  He whispered, and Henry could almost feel Joey’s hands on his shoulders.  _“My dear friend. Are you really choosing this girl over me? Over your best friend?”_

“Get out of my head,” Henry muttered, weakly trying to cover his ears.

“Are you alright?” Annette glanced back at Henry from where she was making soup with Boris. He made a vaguely affirmative noise and she turned away. 

 _“Does she really mean more to you than I do?”_  He could feel Joey’s breath on his face, feel his fingers running through his hair.  _“Don’t you want to make me happy, Henry?”_

There was a part of him that did want to make Joey happy. A deep primal urge to please a power greater than him. Henry’s thoughts were already jumbled and fuzzy, but the addition of Joey’s voice made it even harder to resist. He felt like a sailor, transfixed by the sound of a siren’s song. 

 _“She doesn’t know you, not like I do.”_  Joey said.  _“But she can be one of us. She can truly understand you. All you need to do is infect her. We can be one big family, Henry.”_

That sounded so tempting. He could bring Annette into the fold, have her be one of them. Truly one of them. She could really be his friend then, right? No. He shook his head quickly, trying to dispel the thought. He couldn’t listen to Joey. Joey only wanted to make him hurt the people around him. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Annette asked, coming over with a bowl of soup.

“I’ve been better.” He managed to croak out. Even stringing together that sentence was difficult. He could feel himself slipping away. He had to get out before he hurt Annette. Having her so close, it was so tempting to reach out and vomit ink into her face. He could feel his body inching closer to hers, the bile rising in his throat. At the last second, he turned away and vomited on the floor. 

 _“You were so close, Henry!”_  Joey’s scolding could have been misconstrued as playful, but Henry could feel the rage that hid beneath his former friend’s teasing tone. Henry whimpered, hands going to his head. He didn’t want this. He wanted the voices to stop. Was this why Sammy had gone crazy?

“I’ll give you some time alone.” Annette backed away, back to Boris and back to safety. That was just as well. Henry knew he couldn’t last much longer. He had to get out.


	83. Chapter 83

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I have an cool idea for a story! Do you think you could write something with Stage 5 Henry and "Alice"? I know I wrote my own story with Henry in Stage 4 but I'm curious to see how you'd do it. Sorry if this idea isn't good, you don't have to write this if you don't want to. It's okay.**

Oooh! This is good!

* * *

Alice wrinkled her nose as she stood above the inky creature that had once been Henry. Had he been more human, she might have thought him valuable. At present, all he was was a glorified Searcher. There was nothing to be gained from trying to ransom him or anything like that. She’d so hoped to catch him earlier and try to get Joey to fix her. But now it was useless. Henry was nothing more than a mass of tainted ink. 

“Go away.” She said, making a shooing motion. “Shoo!” Henry stared up at her with blank white eyes.

“I said, go away!” She snapped. Henry moved closer, reaching for her. Alice backed up quickly, her face a mask of disgust. 

“What part of ‘go away’ is difficult for you?!” She hopped on top of a barrel and stayed there, gesturing for Henry to go away. 

“Su…sie?” She froze as she heard the croaky voice. There was recognition in his white eyes now.

“No! I’m Alice!” She shook her head, drawing into herself. Susie had been weak. Susie had let herself be manipulated by Joey. Susie had let her emotions get the better of her. Alice wasn’t like that. Alice was strong. Alice was the one who did the manipulating. 

“Susie…” Henry assembled himself into a form that was almost human, standing at eye level with her. 

“No!” She slapped him, her beautiful face contorting into a mask of fury. “I’m Alice! Susie is weak! She couldn’t stand up for herself!” Henry shrunk back a little at this, and his eyes grew dull again. He retreated from her, making upset little noises.

“That’s right! Go away!” She screamed. “I don’t want anything to do with you!” 

 _Don’t be cruel to Henry now, Alice._  Suddenly Henry straightened up, speaking with Joey’s voice. 

“I don’t want to talk to you, Joey.” Alice sniffed, on the verge of tears. 

 _Then I won’t bother you long._  Henry sauntered over, his mannerisms undeniably Joey’s.  _I just have one thing to say to you._

Before Alice could react, Joey had propelled Henry’s body forward, grabbing Alice and holding her up by her throat. 

 _Don’t mess with Henry._  Joey smiled through Henry, the expression cruel and merciless.  _He’s mine to use and abuse as I see fit. No one else has that privilege. Do you understand?_

“I-I understand.” Alice gasped. 

 _Good._ Joey dropped her and Henry returned to himself. Alice crumpled to the floor, starting to sob. Henry oozed over to her, nuzzling her shoulder. Alice tried weakly to push him away but he wasn’t going to leave so easily. 

“I don’t want your pity,” Alice said, but there was no malice in her voice. Henry leaned against her, continuing to comfort her silently. Alice kept telling herself she didn’t have the energy to tell him to go away. That was it. She didn’t have the energy.


	84. Chapter 84

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi sorry I haven't talked in a few days.. my dashboard is still messed up, and I'm having trouble text messaging people now as well. I have an interesting idea. Could you please write a story where Stage 4 Henry (extremely close to stage 5) is minutes away from infecting Murray, but then Annette shows up and tries to talk him out of it? Sorry if this idea isn't good.. you don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

I’m so sorry you’ve been having a rough time.

* * *

Murray Hill had made a lot of mistakes in his life, and agreeing to work for Joey Drew was definitely one of the bigger ones. Ever since he’d agreed to work for the studio head, he’d been in near constant danger. Especially since Henry had passed into the late stages of Stage 4. The former animator was having a hard time distinguishing friend from foe. Although, even if Henry had been a bit more lucid, Murray was obviously no friend of Henry’s. At present, Murray was backed up against a wall. Henry stood above him, eyes glassed over, ink dripping onto the floor. 

“Henry, please,” Murray begged, putting his hands up. “I know you’re probably angry with me, but you shouldn’t do this. I’m important to Joey’s work. Joey, please, don’t let him do this.” He knew full well Joey was watching from…somewhere. Although, as Henry leaned down, Murray slowly realized Joey was perfectly fine with letting him get infected. 

“Joey, you son of a bitch,” Murray growled, his face twisting in rage. “After everything I’ve done for you, you’re just going to cut me loose.” Suddenly, though, a woman barrelled into the room. 

“Henry!” She yelled. Henry turned around quickly, his singular visible eye widening. 

“Ann….ette?” He rasped. Ah, yes, Annette Martineau. Murray knew her. Mostly from secondhand complaining Joey had done. Joey was not fond of Miss Martineau. 

“Yes, that’s right, it’s me.” Annette smiled reassuringly towards Henry. “Let me help you, Henry.”

“Annette.” Henry whimpered, staring at her. “Help….me.”

“I want to help you, really, I do.” Annette took a step towards him. 

“There’s nothing you can do,” Murray said. “You have to know that. The corruption is far too advanced.” Annette gave him one look, and he fell silent. 

“He needs…to pay,” Henry said, looking at Murray. “He…did this.”

“I know he did this to you, but you shouldn’t do this.” Annette moved closer to Henry once more. “Infecting him would make you no better than him. Don’t stoop to his level, Henry.”

“The voices…They keep telling me to infect him, to destroy him.” Henry’s eye looked much more in focus. He was able to string his words together much better now. It seemed as though having Annette around made it easier for Henry to regain his humanity. Interesting. Murray would have to make a note about this. 

“Come with me, Henry.” Annette held her hand out. “Boris and I can figure something out to help you.” Henry nodded slowly, moving towards her. Murray stayed stock still. He didn’t want to jeopardize anything that would prevent Henry from being taken out of the room. Henry stumbled over to Annette, who was moving back slowly, enticing Henry out of the room. Murray didn’t stop holding his breath until Henry was out of the room. 

“I hate this studio.” He muttered.


	85. Chapter 85

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I just came up with an awesome yet super sad idea!! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 4 Henry and Projectionist!Norman? I've been working on a story like that for awhile now but I'm really stuck. I'd love to see how you'd write them together, since they were friends. I bet Henry would feel so bad for him. Sorry if this idea isn't very good. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

Oooh. This will be sad. 

* * *

Henry couldn’t believe he was down here. Boris had told him not to go down to level 14, but here he was anyway. He had to see Norman. He’d heard from Boris what had happened to the former projectionist and he decided he needed to see it for himself. Now he stood on the balcony, staring down at the creature stalking through the ankle-deep ink. That couldn’t be Norman. It couldn’t be. But he could feel Norman’s energy coming off of the creature. Henry stumbled down the stairs, heading towards Norman. His movements were slowed by the ink both on the ground and covering his body. 

“Norman!” He yelled, reaching out for the projectionist. Henry didn’t know what he’d expected, but it certainly hadn’t been what he’d gotten. The Projectionist whirled around, letting out an ear-piercing shriek. Henry’s eyes widened and he backed up slowly. 

“Norman, please.” He put his hands up. The Projectionist shrieked again and charged towards Henry. Henry tried to run, he did, but the ink covering his legs made it hard to move quickly. He fell on his back, the wind knocked out of him. The Projectionist was on him in a moment, hands raised to slash at him. But then he paused. Henry stared up at him, his heart pounding in his chest. 

“Norman?” He whispered. Norman tilted his projector to the side, letting out a softer shrieking sound. He reached down and touched Henry’s face softly with his inky fingers. 

“Do you remember me?” Henry asked. “It’s me, Henry. I used to work here.” Norman got up, taking a step back. He almost seemed to be thinking, trying to remember. 

“We didn’t know each other too well, but I always thought you were a nice guy.” Henry got up as well, trying to dust himself off. It didn’t really do much. He was pretty much all ink at this point. Norman made a confused noise, gesturing to Henry and tilting his projector to the side. 

“Are you asking how I got like this?” Henry asked. Norman nodded.

“Joey…infected me,” Henry said, his shoulders slumping. Norman seemed to understand this, nodding again. He held up four fingers and pointed at Henry. 

“Yes, I am at Stage 4.” Henry seemed to deflate more, sitting down on a box. “One more stage to go, then I’m Joey’s puppet.” He laughed hollowly. Norman almost seemed to frown, walking over and putting a hand on Henry’s shoulder. Norman wasn’t sure what to do, he’d forgotten most of his social cues, but he wanted to make Henry feel better. He knew he’d known Henry at one point, and Henry did seem nice. 

“Thanks, Norman.” Henry patted his hand. Norman made a little happy noise at being praised. Henry laughed quietly, continuing to pat Norman’s hand. He was starting to get tired. Norman panicked a bit at this, shaking him roughly. 

“I’m okay! I’m okay.” Henry sat up and shook his head. “I’m okay.” Norman made a concerned sound. 

“I’ll be okay, Norman.” Henry smiled weakly. “I promise.” Norman didn’t believe him at all. He wrapped his arms around Henry and made more concerned noises. He didn’t want to let him go. Bad things happened to people in the studio.


	86. Chapter 86

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I just had an interesting idea! Could you write a story with Stage 5 Henry and the Lost Ones? Maybe he wanders down, and they look after him for a bit, and then Henry 'wakes up' and starts freaking out and they try to make him feel better? Sorry if this idea isn't good, you don't have to write this if you don't want to. It's okay.**

This is a really cool idea. 

* * *

The Lost Ones were a family, first and foremost. They may not have been before, but they certainly were now. They took care of each other and comforted one another when they were having difficult times. And now that Henry was one of them, they were more than happy to do whatever they could to help him. Of course, Joey kept him away from them for the most part. That hurt. They knew he probably freaked out whenever he became lucid once more. They wanted to be there for him, give him all their love and support. Thankfully, they got that chance. 

Henry had wandered down to them that day, curious about the area that Joey told him not to go to. Some part of him still wanted to resist Joey, even if that part of him wasn’t in control anymore. The Lost Ones all turned to face him as he opened the door and oozed inside. 

“Henry?”

Henry tilted his head to the side. They knew his name? How did they know his name?

“We used to work with you.” A few stepped forward, waving shyly. Those were the former animators. Something about their energy felt familiar to Henry. He moved closer. They felt like friends. Why would Joey want to keep him from these people?

“You probably don’t remember much.” They looked to one another. “But we could tell you some stories if you like.” Henry perked up a bit at that. He liked stories. Joey told him a lot of stories. The Lost Ones smiled and began to share stories from their time at the studio. Henry listened patiently, not quite connecting himself to the man in their stories. 

Eventually, there was a lull in the stories, as the Lost Ones took a moment to try and come up with more to say. Henry finally ‘woke up’ then. He looked around wildly, eyes wide and his expression desperate. 

“Where am I? Who are all of you?” He asked. They moved closer, putting their hands on his shoulders.

“You’re okay, Henry.” They assured him. “Well, as okay as you can be.”

“Who are all of you?” Henry repeated, still a little rattled. Normally when he ‘woke up’ he didn’t want to be touched. But these people, they were different. Having them nearby made him feel safe for some reason. 

“We’re…Well, we’re the Lost Ones.” They laughed weakly, looking at one another. “That’s what Joey calls us, at least.”

“Okay…” Henry nodded slowly. “Did…Did you all used to work here?” He was rather upset when they all nodded. 

“I’m so sorry.” He said, his form melting a bit. “I’m so so sorry. I shouldn’t have left. I should have done something to stop him. I should have-”

“It’s not your fault.” They assured him, holding him close. “You shouldn’t beat yourself up over Joey’s mistakes.”

“But I should have done something!” Henry started to cry. “Everyone here has suffered so much because _I_ left!”

“Joey didn’t go off the rails before you left, Henry. He’s always been like this.” They said firmly. “And don’t forget, you’ve suffered too.”

“But-”

“No buts. We’re all in this together, Henry.” They all surrounded him, holding him close to them. He cried for a bit, but eventually gave in and let them hold him. He knew someone had his back now.


	87. Chapter 87

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I just had an awesome idea! Do you think you could write a story with Stage 4 Henry meeting Bendy? Sorry if I made the details a little vague.. I'm really tired right now. Sorry if this idea isn't very good either, you don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Don’t worry. You’re good. I decided to do a ‘perfect’ Bendy rather than monster Bendy.

* * *

Henry wasn’t sure where he was. He’d left the safehouse after almost infecting Annette and…And…What had happened after that? He looked around blearily. He was in an area he didn’t recognize. Had he taken the elevator down? He turned down a corridor, heading towards a door in the wall. He’d never been this deep in the studio before. 

“Archives?” He frowned slightly at the sign above the door. He could hear someone moving from within. Henry stumbled to the door and pushed it open. There, sitting on under a statue, was Bendy the Dancing Demon. Henry’s eyes widened.

“Bendy?” 

The little demon looked up from what he’d been doing, which was messing with a record player. His tail curled towards him, almost protectively. 

“Henry?” Bendy’s eyes widened as well. “Gosh. You look awful.”

“T-Thanks.” Henry couldn’t help but smile. “I know.” Bendy bounded up and over to Henry, wrapping his arms around Henry’s legs. 

“Man, it’s so cool to meet you! I’ve heard so much about you!” He chirped.

“It’s good to meet you too.” Henry picked him up and held him as he would a child. Bendy grinned at him, nuzzling closer to Henry. 

“What are you doing down here?” Bendy asked, looking up at him. 

“I’m…not sure,” Henry admitted, laughing softly. “I wandered down here.”

“But why’d you wander down here?” Bendy asked. He really did have the curiosity of a child. 

“I…I needed to get away.” Henry pursed his lips. “I did something I shouldn’t have.”

“Like what?” Bendy tilted his head to the side. 

“I…I almost infected someone.” 

“Oh.” Bendy’s eyes widened. He snuggled up to Henry again, patting Henry’s back. “Gee, I’m sorry, Henry.”

“It’s okay. It was my fault.”

“No, it’s not!” Bendy shook his head fervently. “It’s Joey’s fault! He did this to you! You’re a good person!”

“I’m not that good of a person,” Henry said. Bendy screwed his face up in adorable fury. 

“That’s what Joey wants you to think!” He grabbed Henry’s face and pulled it close to his own. “You deserve better, Henry! You gotta stand up for yourself!” 

“But Bendy-”

“No! No buts!” Bendy pressed his forehead against Henry’s. “You gotta believe in yourself, Henry. Don’t let  _anyone_  walk all over you.” Henry stared at him for a moment, then started laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” Bendy demanded. “I’m bein’ serious here!”

“I know you are.” Henry laughed. “It’s just…You really are everything I hoped you’d be. I’m so proud of you, Bendy.”  Bendy smiled shyly. 

“Golly, thanks.”

“You’re very welcome.” Henry kissed the demon’s forehead and put him down. “Now, I think I need to go talk to Joey.” He then turned and started to walk away.

“I’ll come too.” Bendy grabbed his hand. “I have some stuff I wanna talk to him about too.” Henry smiled down at him. 

“Let’s talk to him together.” 


	88. Chapter 88

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had another interesting idea! Do you think you could write something with Henry, Annette, and Boris? Specifically after Annette lead Henry away from Murray so he wouldn't infect him. I'm curious to see Boris interacting with Henry more since he is his creator. It would be really cool if they both talk to him about what happened (sort of like an intervention maybe.) Sorry if this idea is stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

It’s not stupid, don’t worry.

* * *

Annette led Henry back to the safe room, where she and Boris would be able to help him. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She felt bad that she was so scared, but Henry was barely in control of himself at the moment. She relaxed a little once they got to the safe room and Boris let them in. 

“Is everything okay?” Boris asked, wringing his hands. “No one got hurt, right?”

“No one got hurt.” Annette nodded, smiling shakily. Henry collapsed into Boris’ arms, his form practically melting. Boris hoisted Henry up, carrying him bridal style to the hammock. 

“You okay?” Boris asked, looking down at Henry. Henry made a vaguely affirmative noise. 

“Is he going to be okay?” Annette asked, trailing behind them. 

“Probably.” Boris nodded and laid Henry down, tucking him in. 

“T-Thanks, Boris.” Henry smiled weakly. “I can really count on you, huh?”

“Well, you’re my creator.” Boris smiled back, putting a reassuring hand on Henry’s chest. “I owe you.” He and Henry stared at one another, an unspoken connection being forged. 

“I’ll go make some soup.” Annette excused herself quickly. She had a feeling those two needed some proper alone time. As soon as she left the room, Henry propped himself up and held Boris close to him.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I never should have left the studio. I should have been there for you when you were created.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Boris assured him, patting Henry’s back. 

“I should have done more.” Henry insisted. “I should have been your hero.” 

Boris shook his head. He was trying so hard not to fall apart. He’d held out hope that Henry would come there and save him, save all of them. But as it turned out, Henry wasn’t some mythic hero, he was just a man. 

“We don’t need a hero,” Boris said, smiling down at Henry. “We just need you to be here. We’ll get you out, don’t worry.”

“I’m supposed to be the one saving all of you.” Henry chuckled before leaning back into his hammock. “Not the other way around.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it.” Boris patted his head. It was then that Annette returned with the soup. 

“Thanks, Annette.” Henry yawned, taking the bowl and gulping it down. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep after there. He slept peacefully there, completely tired out by the preceding events. Boris and Annette both watched him for a long time. He would be alright, wouldn’t he?


	89. Chapter 89

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I just had a really interesting idea. Could you write a story where Henry actually did manage to infect someone, but he didn't know it and after they escaped the studio (with Henry somehow being returned back to Stage 1) and he has a nightmare about what he did, and Annette's trying to tell hint isn't his fault? Sorry I know this idea is pretty stupid.. I should have described it better. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay. I'm sorry if I'm bugging you as well..**

Poor Henry. This is gonna be rough for him.

* * *

Henry didn’t remember a lot about his time at the studio after he’d passed into stage 4. He was pretty sure he hadn’t accidentally infected anyone, but he was never quite sure.

“Even if you did, it wasn’t your fault.” Annette kept telling him. “You weren’t in control of yourself.” He’d nod and agree, but he couldn’t get the idea out of his mind. He was terrified that he’d somehow doomed someone to the life of a mindless puppet. He’d been lucky Annette and Boris had found a way to return him mostly to normal, even if they wouldn’t explain how they’d done it. He didn’t want to responsible for someone else’s misery. For a long time, he convinced himself he hadn’t harmed anyone.

One night, though, he had a nightmare that proved him wrong. He dreamed he was back in the studio, wandering the hallways in his almost completely ink drenched form. A person he didn’t recognize stumbled into his path, clearly drunk. The man barely got a word out before Henry pounced on him, vomiting his ink down the man’s throat. Henry woke up in a cold sweat, screaming. Annette came running in, she’d been staying at his house, holding a frying pan.

“What’s going on? What’s happening?” She yelled, brandishing the frying pan. Henry didn’t say anything, sobbing into his hands. Annette lowered the frying pan and ran over to him.

“What’s wrong, Henry?” She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He flinched away at first but eventually leaned into her touch. 

“Henry?” Annette’s voice softened. “What’s wrong? Please, tell me.” 

“I infected someone.” Henry grabbed onto her, crying into her stomach. “I’m a monster!” 

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Annette stroked his hair, trying to calm him. “You weren’t in control of what you were doing.”

“I turned someone into an ink creature!” Henry sobbed. “I’m as bad as Joey!”

“No!” Annette snapped, her voice coming out sharper than she’d expected. 

“No.” She repeated, her voice softening. “Don’t say that. Never say that. You’re nothing like him.” 

“But I infected someone!”

“Not because you wanted to,” Annette argued. “Being like that, it did things to you. You weren’t yourself like that, and you can’t blame yourself for what you did while you were in that state.” 

She spent the next hour trying to talk Henry out of his self-destructive state. He still didn’t completely believe her, that he wasn’t responsible for his actions, but he conceded that he was neither a monster nor as bad as Joey. He ended up crying himself to sleep. Annette gently disentangled herself from him, tucking him back into bed, and headed downstairs. She was never going to forgive Joey for what he’d done to her friend. Never.


	90. Chapter 90

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I keep coming up with angsty ideas lately lol. Could you please write a story with Stage 4 Henry where he managed to corrupt Murray and he still has some time left before he gets to Stage 5, and Joey is happy with him but Henry feels guilty for giving in? Maybe Annette tries to confront him about it at the end? Sorry if this idea isn't very good and is hard.. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

Well, I wrote some cute stuff recently, so this balances it out.

* * *

This time, there was no Annette to save Murray from Henry. Joey’s partner was overtaken by the ink, drowning as it was forced down his throat. Henry stumbled away as Murray choked and gasped. Guilt settled like ice in the pit of his stomach. 

“No. Nononono.” He whispered, hands going to his head. “Nonononononononononono.” He shook his head, starting to sob. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to have done this. Why couldn’t he have just kept it together a little longer? Why couldn’t he have resisted? 

 _“Oh, Henry. Don’t be sad.”_  Joey’s voice purred in his mind.  _“You did well.”_ He could practically feel Joey’s arms around him, holding him close. For a moment, he wanted to give in. He wanted to slip into the oblivion of Joey’s domain. But he didn’t. 

“Leave me alone, Joey, please,” Henry begged, turning and running from the room. 

 _“You can’t escape me, Henry,”_  Joey said.  _“It’s almost time now. Soon, you’ll be mine.”_

“Please. Stop.” Henry tried to cover his ears, but Joey’s voice continued. No matter how far Henry ran, no matter how much he begged, Joey’s voice kept echoing in his mind. Finally, Henry reached the safehouse and collapsed outside it. Annette opened the door and stared down at him. She looked so tired. 

“Henry,” she said, her voice soft. “What did you do?”

“I infected Murray.” Henry started to cry, covering his face with his hands. “I gave in. I’m a terrible person, Annette.” Annette sighed and knelt beside him, watching him with her weary gaze. She wanted to hold him in her arms and comfort him, but she couldn’t. 

“I’m sorry, Henry.” She said. 

“I’m a monster.” He kept sobbing. 

“You’re not, Henry.” She reached a hand out but withdrew it quickly. She just wanted to make everything better. Why couldn’t she just make everything better?

“I’m sorry, Henry.” She whispered. 

“So am I.”

They sat there in silence, watching each other. Eventually, Henry got up and slunk away. He could feel his mind starting to unravel and he didn’t want to be near Annette when it happened. Annette closed the door behind him, her heart heavy.


	91. Chapter 91

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I came home early today because I was feeling really sick. I came up with an interesting idea though. Could you please write a story with Trauma!Norman where Wendy takes him to a park to go feed the birds? I think it would be very cute and sweet. Norman doesn't get to go outside much. Sorry if this idea isn't very good or interesting. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. I hope this helps.

* * *

Norman had woken up excited. Wendy had promised him they’d be able to go to the park that day and feed the birds. Norman didn’t go out too much, so this was especially exciting. He stayed in bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling and wiggling under his covers. Wendy always scolded him if he got up without her, so he generally waited until she came to get him to get up. Finally, she entered the room. 

“Morning Normie.” She smiled sleepily. Norman sat up, waving happily. 

“You’re excited about the park, aren’t you?” Wendy laughed softly. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed and we can head over.” Norman hopped out of bed and waited by the dresser as Wendy helped him out of his pajamas and into some new clothes. From there, they walked over to the park. Norman practically ran out of the house.

“Don’t go running off,” Wendy said, holding Norman’s hand. “We have to stay together.” Norman pouted slightly at this but stayed close to his sister. He had been tasked with holding the crackers they’d be feeding the birds. He held it close to his chest, humming to himself. 

The park wasn’t too far away, so they reached it rather quickly. The siblings settled on a park bench and Wendy instructed Norman on how to feed the birds. Norman was only half paying attention. He was trying to take in everything he possibly could. The sun was shining, there were only a few powderpuff clouds in the sky. It was a beautiful day. He was so happy to be outside. To feel the sun on his skin. It felt so good to be out in the world. 

“Normie, are you even listening?” Wendy asked, sounding slightly exasperated. Norman looked back at her, smiling sheepishly. 

“You really are happy to be outside, aren’t you?” She smiled softly. “I’m glad.” She liked seeing her brother smile. It made her remember the good times. It made her feel like things were going to be alright. 

“Do you want to feed the birds now?” She asked, holding the crackers out to him. Norman nodded, taking the crackers. Wendy showed him how to crumble them and throw them to the birds. Norman got a bit overzealous with his throwing, ending up scaring away some of the birds.

“It’s okay,” Wendy assured him. “Let’s wait a little and try again.” Norman pouted slightly, folding his arms. Eventually, the birds did come back and Norman could try again. He tried to be gentler this time, which attracted more and more birds. Norman was especially excited by the gathering of the birds. So many little creatures! It was so cool!

They stayed at the park almost the whole day. They got pretzels from a street vendor, and then ice cream later in the day. By the end of the day, Norman was all tuckered out. But he was very happy. It had been a good day. Wendy was glad he was happy. She always liked to see him happy. It made her happy. As long as she had her brother, everything would be alright.


	92. Chapter 92

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I just thought of an awesome and sad idea! Could you write a story with Sammy and Projectionist!Norman? Maybe Sammy becomes lucid/sane for awhile and remembers what had happened to Norman and wants to check on him? (Sammy and Norman were pretty good friends, Sammy actually had to babysit Wendy a lot lol.) Sorry if this idea isn't very good, you don't have to write this if you don't want to. It's okay.**

Ooooooh!! I really like this idea. 

* * *

As Sammy pulled himself from the puddle the Ink Demon had reduced him to, clarity filled his mind. For the first time in a long time, he was remembered who he was and why he’d come to this studio. And the first thing that popped into his mind was Norman. His devotion to Bendy didn’t matter anymore. He needed to find Norman. He scrambled to his feet, putting his overalls back on, and stumbled down to Level 14 as fast as his legs would carry him. His heart pounded against his chest. He hoped to God he was remembering incorrectly. His memory had played tricks on him before. He’d been wrong before. He prayed this was one of those times. 

“Please, please be okay.” He whispered, stabbing at the button. The elevator screeched to life and started to descend downwards. Sammy played with his mask as he stood in the back of the elevator. He hadn’t been sure whether to bring it along, but he’d grabbed it anyway when he’d gotten up. In the end, he tossed it, watching it fall down the elevator shaft. Good. The elevator stopped on level 14 and he got out. With shaking hands, he gripped the railing looking over the flooded level. There he was. Skulking from one side of the labyrinth to the other. 

“Norman!” Sammy yelled, unable to stop himself. The creature, which was probably barely Norman at this point, didn’t seem to notice, instead disappearing into the labyrinth. Sammy ran down the stairs and into the labyrinth, looking wildly around. The corridors wound around, tight enough to give him anxiety. Sammy’s heart pounded even harder as he searched desperately for his old friend. Suddenly, he heard a horrible screeching sound from behind him. Turning around, he found himself face to face with the strange projector headed creature. It looked ready to charge. 

“Norman.” Sammy didn’t feel afraid, looking up at him. In fact, he felt on the verge of tears. Norman hesitated, projector tilted to the side. 

“It’s me, Sammy.” Sammy took a step towards him, putting a hand on Norman’s chest. “God….I’m so sorry.” Norman made a questioning noise, putting his hand on Sammy’s. 

“You deserved better.” Sammy started to sob. Norman’s shriek was concerned this time as Sammy collapsed to his knees, sobbing into his hands. 

“I’m so sorry.” Sammy kept crying. “I should have done something! I should have saved you!” Norman shook his projector, kneeling beside Sammy and lifting him to his feet. He remembered Sammy, vaguely, and he didn’t want to see his friend sad. He knew this wasn’t Sammy’s fault. Sammy was a good person.

“Oh God, Wendy!” Sammy’s eyes suddenly widened. “She must be so scared, right now!” Wendy…That name sounded familiar. 

“Do you remember Wendy?” Sammy asked. “She’s your sister.” Norman made a noise that almost sounded confused. 

“Right. That’s probably too much to expect.” Sammy nodded slowly, looking around the area. “Anyway, we have to get out somehow. You have to get back to her.” Norman nodded slightly. He didn’t quite remember Wendy, but he knew she was important. He needed to get out. 


	93. Chapter 93

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I thought of an interesting idea! Could you please write a story with Stage 5 Henry and Alice/Allison Angel and Boris/Thomas? Maybe Vinny is there with them? Sorry I know he's a little hard to write because he's mysterious.. I've been working on more stories with him in them. He doesn't have to say much. Basically this is just Allison and Thomas reacting to Searcher!Henry. Sorry if this idea is stupid and bad.. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay.**

Allison and Thomas had hoped they would be able to get to Henry before he reached Stage 5. They’d heard from some of the Lost Ones that Henry had been infected and they wanted to help him as best they could. They thought that maybe if they could get him out, they could save him from the fate suffered by others who had been infected. Unfortunately, when they found him it was too late. They found him cornering a little boy with purple eyes. At first, they assumed he was a regular Searcher and were ready to destroy him until they saw his face.

“Henry?” Allison whispered, almost dropping her sword. 

“He changed.” The little boy said, pressing himself further away from Henry. 

“It can’t be Henry,” Thomas said, frowning. 

“It’s Henry.” The little boy insisted. “He changed.” 

“What’s your name, little boy?” Allison asked, trying to distract herself from the fact that she hadn’t been able to save Henry.

“Vincent.” The boy said. “Please don’t touch me. I don’t like to be touched.” 

“Ah, alright.” Allison nodded, taking a step back. Thomas was looking Henry over, frowning and passing his pipe wrench from hand to hand. Henry regarded Thomas curiously, his inky head tilted to the side. 

“Let’s get you out of here, Vincent.” Allison gestured for Vincent to follow him. 

“I don’t want to leave Henry.” Vincent frowned slightly, staring intently at Henry. “He’s my friend.”

“He can’t go back now,” Thomas said. 

“You can’t be a little gentler about it?” Allison gave Thomas a pointed look. Thomas put his hands up, rolling his eyes. This was a conversation they’d had before.

“You don’t need to sugarcoat it,” Vincent said. “I know there’s no coming back from this.”

“Then you should know you can’t be near him,” Thomas replied. “He’ll try to infect you.” While Thomas argued with Vincent, Allison watched Henry. Her throat felt tight, seeing him like this. She could have saved him, somehow. She could feel herself starting to cry.

“Oh, geez.” Thomas sighed. “Hey, Alli, it’s going to be okay.” 

“N-No, it’s not.” Allison began to sob. “Henry’s a Searcher now! We could have saved him!”

“You know we couldn’t have.” Thomas put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s just focus on helping the kid, alright?”

“Alright.”


	94. Chapter 94

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I thought of an very interesting idea for a story! Could you please write a story with Trauma!Normana and Wendy? Maybe it's his first night back home from the psychiatric hospital? Sorry if this idea is stupid.. you don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's okay, and I'm also sorry if I've been overwhelming you with my story requests.**

I think I might have done something about this, but I can’t remember, so I’ll do it. 

* * *

Wendy still wasn’t sure how she’d managed to get the hospital to release Norman into her care, but they’d agreed all the same and now she was taking him home. She was shaking the whole drive back. She was just so happy. Her brother was going to be safe with her. Norman slept quietly in the back seat, wrapped in a blanket Wendy had brought from home. It was her favorite blanket, one she slept with every night. She knew it smelled like her, so it comforted Norman. When she parked in the driveway, she started to cry. She was just so happy to have him back. Norman woke up and moved forward, concern plain on his face. He made a noise that she knew was him trying to say her name in a worried tone. 

“I’m alright.” She said, trying to wipe her tears away. “It’s just…I’m so glad that you’re here with me.” She got out of the car and led Norman into the house. Norman trailed after her, the blanket draped around his shoulders. He hadn’t had anything to bring from the hospital, so all he had was the blanket really. She unlocked the door and they both entered. Norman started looking around curiously. He found a family picture of the two of them before he’d disappeared and pointed excitedly to the picture. 

“Yeah, that’s you.” Wendy smiled tiredly. Norman kept going to different pictures and pointing to himself. Eventually, he made his way to his old room. It hadn’t been touched since he’d disappeared. Norman froze in the doorway, staring into the room. 

“Here’s your old room.” Wendy walked up behind. Norman frowned slightly, looking around. This place was so familiar, but he didn’t know why. 

“Are you tired?” Wendy asked, gesturing to his bed. Norman walked over and snuggled up in the bed, looking up expectantly at Wendy. 

“Do you want me to tuck you in?” She asked, smiling softly. Norman nodded, giving her a big grin. Wendy shook her head and tucked him in. She turned to leave, but Norman made a whining sound. 

“You want me to sleep in here?” She asked. Norman nodded again. 

“Alright. Let me get a sleeping bag.” Wendy left and returned a few minutes later with a sleeping bag and a pillow. She laid down on the ground next to Norman’s bed and watched him. He snuggled up, much happier now that she was there. He felt safe now.


	95. Chapter 95

**[pure-mousetail](https://pure-mousetail.tumblr.com/) asked: Can you do Stage 5 Henry meeting Projectionist!Norman? I think it would be interesting to see Joey react to Henry being attacked by Norman (perhaps Henry even becomes lucid through the middle of it???)**

Sure thing~

* * *

Henry wasn’t sure how he’d ended up on level 14, but he was here all the same. Joey had told him not to go down to level 14, but Henry was curious. So when Joey wasn’t paying attention, Henry had snuck down to level 14 to see what was down there. He came out of the ink and into a flooded level. Henry looked around curiously, gathering his form together. There was a tape on a box in the middle of the ink. Henry oozed over. He’d seen tapes like this before. They always held voices that made him almost remember things. Joey always told him not to listen to the tapes, but Henry couldn’t help but be curious. He reached the box and pressed the play button on the tape. A raspy voice filled the room.

“Now I’m not looking for trouble. It’s just the nature of us projectionists to seek out the dark places. You see, I’ve learned the ins and outs of this here studio. I know how to avoid being bothered by the likes of this…company. That projectionist, they always say, creepin’ around, he’s just lookin’ for trouble. Well, trouble or not, I sees everything. They don’t even know when I’m watchin’. Even when I’m right behind ‘em.” 

There was something so familiar about that voice. A vague memory surfaced in Henry’s mind of a man, taller than him, with a weary gaze and a kind smile. This memory was shattered by an unholy shrieking sound. Something swiped at the back of Henry’s head. Henry whirled around, coming face to face with a strange projector headed monstrosity. The creature screamed and swiped at him again. Henry sunk into the ink, watching the creature from the safety of the ankle-high flood. He had the strangest feeling that he knew this creature. All of a sudden, everything came crashing back to him.

“Norman?” He whispered, his mind becoming clear. His voice bubbled out of the ink. The creature didn’t immediately react to this, but Henry knew he’d been right. 

“Norman!” He stuck his head out of the ink. “Norman, it’s me, Henry!” The creature turned slowly, projector head tilted to the side in curiosity. Henry’s heart sank. It was Norman. Joey had done this to him.

“Norman, I’m so sorry,” Henry whispered, his single eye starting to tear up. Norman stared at him, but there was no recognition to be found in the lightbulb that now served as his eye. Henry sunk into the ink, starting to cry as Norman skulked away. He knew Joey’s influence was weaker down here. That was probably why Joey hadn’t wanted him to come down here. His ‘old friend’ hadn’t wanted Henry to see this particular horror and become lucid once more.

_“Henry! My office! Now!”_

Henry winced as Joey’s voice lanced through his mind. He tried to resist the pull of Joey’s influence, but he felt his mind beginning to cloud once more. He sunk deeper into the ink, heading back through the portals towards Joey’s office. The further he got from level 14, the fuzzier his mind became until he was back to his Searcher mindset. When he got into Joey’s office, he was docile and mindless once more. Joey smiled at this. He’d have to keep Henry with him for a little while, just to make sure it didn’t happen again.


	96. Chapter 96

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I just came up with a super interesting idea! Could you please write a story with Stage 5 Henry where he wakes up, and sees Murray and realizes that he corrupted him, and feels guilty about it? Maybe Murray hasn't reached the final stage yet so he tries to tell Henry that it's not his fault? Sorry if this idea isn't good.. you don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's completely fine.**

I’ll do my best.

* * *

Murray had been working around the clock to try and find a way to reverse the corruption of the ink. It was so different when it was his own life on the line. Although try as he might, he knew it was useless. There was no way back after he’d been infected. He hated that he only realized how wrong he’d been to do this after he’d been infected. He could hear the voices of the others in the Ink growing louder with each passing moment. 

“Damn Drew.” He muttered, coughing up some ink. “Damn him and his machinations.” Suddenly, he felt a new presence. He turned around quickly, relaxing a bit when he saw it was just Henry. 

“Hello, Henry.” He sighed, turning away from his work to smile at the glorified Searcher. Henry made a vague noise of affirmation, moving closer. He seemed to have accepted Murray as one of his own now that the scientist had been infected. Murray sighed, going back to his work. He knew it was useless, but he wanted to try anyway. 

“Mur…ray.” A voice rasped. Murray froze, turning back around very slowly. There was recognition in Henry’s eyes. 

“Henry.” Murray’s expression turned to one of concern. “How are you feeling?”

“I…Infected you.” Henry’s eyes widened and he started to hyperventilate. “I’m s-so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I-”

“Henry, it’s alright,” Murray assured him, putting his hands on Henry’s shoulders. He had nothing to fear from touching Henry anymore. “You weren’t in control of yourself. 

“But I-”

“But nothing.” Murray cut him off. “This whole thing is my fault, Henry. I created this virus. I infected you. This is all my fault.” Henry withdrew a bit, ink dripping down to cover his eye. 

“I shouldn’t have infected you.” He said. “I should have fought back.”

“You didn’t have a choice.” Murray smiled wearily. “I made sure of that.” They sat in silence for a few minutes, just watching one another. 

“I’m sorry,” Murray said. “I never should have agreed to Joey’s plan.” He’d been selfish, wanting to see how far he could push the limits of science. Henry stayed silent, his sanity starting to wane. 

“I’m…I’m gonna find Joey.” He mumbled, starting to ooze out of the room.

“I’ll see you.” Murray’s shoulders slumped, and he returned to his work.


	97. Chapter 97

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I just had an interesting idea! Can you please write a story where Bendy meets Stage 5 Henry? I'm actually working on a story like that right now and I'm going to try to post it tonight or tomorrow. You're stories are always amazing and I want to see how you'd write it! Sorry if this idea is stupid though, you don't have to write this if you don't want to. It's fine!**

I’m glad you like my writing!

* * *

Part of Bendy had hoped Henry would get away before he reached stage five of the corruption. Henry had been the one who had gotten away. The one person who was free of Joey’s reign of terror. Had he not been so afraid of Joey’s wrath, the little demon would have tried to save him in some way. But now it was too late. Now, Henry was nothing but a Searcher and Bendy couldn’t do anything to help him. For the most part, Bendy stayed away from stage 5 Henry. He did everything he could to not come face to face with his creator. But he should have known that sooner or later, he would. Now Bendy stood face to face with the Searcher that had once been Henry. 

“I want you to look after Henry for the afternoon,” Joey said with a bright smile. “He has a habit of wandering off, I’m afraid, and I have something I need to take care of so I can’t watch him.”

“Uh, sure thing.” Bendy forced himself to smile as he tried to hide how badly he was shaking.

“That’s my boy.” Joey patted the little demon’s head and glided out of the room. Once he was gone, Bendy let his facade drop. He started to cry quietly, fat inky tears trailing down his cheeks. Henry made a concerned noise and moved closer, putting a hand on Bendy’s shoulder in an almost parental gesture. Maybe there was still some Henry left in there. 

“Thanks.” Bendy tried to put on a smile. “I ‘ppreciate it.” Henry tilted his head to the side, singular eye crinkled with concern.

“I’m fine, really.” Bendy tried to gently push Henry’s hand off his shoulder. Henry’s brow furrowed, or at least that’s what it looked like was happening, and he wrapped his arms around Bendy.

“I’m fine!” Bendy insisted, trying to wriggle out of Henry’s embrace. Henry let out a small huff and hugged him tighter. Bendy groaned and hunched his shoulders. 

“Daaaaad.” He whined. Henry froze at this, looking up at Bendy with a wide eye.

“D…ad?” He rasped. 

“Well, you’re my Creator.” Bendy flushed a little. “You’re pretty much my Dad. Don’t tell Joey I said that, though.” Henry smiled. Well, he tried. He didn’t really have a mouth, so it was difficult. But he tried his best. For some reason, hearing Bendy say that made him feel warm inside. He wanted to ask Joey about it, but Bendy had told him not to say anything to Joey. Bendy rested his head on Henry’s, trying to imagine that it wasn’t an inky creature holding him but a human man. 

“It’s going to be okay,” Bendy whispered, more for his benefit than anything else. “We’re gonna be alright.” They wouldn’t be stuck here forever. He’d find some way to fix Henry and then they’d get out and they’d be happy.  He had to believe that. 


	98. Chapter 98

**[pure-mousetail](https://pure-mousetail.tumblr.com/) asked: Heyo! Me again :> I still enjoy reading your writings and such and I really enjoy the effort you and @bornoffireandwisdom Saudade AU and was curious, are you able to write about the relationship Sammy has with the Lost Ones? I like how everyone considers them a 'Flock' and I can't help but feel that its a Skinjackers references (A cluster of spirits are called a Flock in Skinjackers).**

I don’t know what Skinjackers is, so I’ll take your word for it. I’m not sure if you’re asking for a story, so I’ll write one anyway.

* * *

Sammy had always been fond of his coworkers. He had always been a little awkward, so it was difficult for him to interact with them, but he always did his best to make everyone feel safe and comfortable when they were around him. He knew a lot of co-workers were scared of him due to how angry he could get, but he wasn’t an angry person. It was just his sensory issues. Norman understood this well, thankfully, but it took a while for everyone else to. Sammy’s protectiveness of his coworkers lasted even into his inky state. Many of the Searchers lacked the cognitive ability to process who he was, but he was kind to them nonetheless. 

The ones he spent the most time with, though, were the Lost Ones. They were like him, somewhere between Searcher and human. They had enough self-awareness to know that what they were was wrong, and this terrified them. Sammy did his best to keep their morale up. He promised them that Bendy would set them free, that they just had to have faith. He knew not all of them believed him, but having him there did make them feel better. He cared. He wouldn’t leave them. Having Sammy visit them, having him care about them and their wellbeing, it made them almost feel human again. He helped them try and remember who they once were, held them when they cried. He was just…. _there_. He was their savior, he was their prophet. He would always be there for them, no matter what. And as long as they had him and each other…Maybe they weren’t alone.


	99. Chapter 99

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! Sorry I haven't talked in awhile, I kind of got addicted to Octopath Traveler lol. Anyway I had a super cute idea for a story! Could you write something where Henry and Bendy have escaped the studio and are living together? And Bendy just randomly turns into a real boy? Oh my gosh it'll be so adorable! Sorry if this idea isn't very good though, I just thought it would be cute. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.**

Sorry this took so long. I’ve been having trouble being creative. But I really had fun writing this. 

* * *

Henry had known when he’d escaped the studio with Bendy that he needed to find some way to disguise the little demon so that Joey wouldn’t come after them. He wasn’t sure how exactly he’d landed on turning the toon into a human, but that was what he’d settled on. If anyone asked, he introduced Bendy as “Benjamin”, the son of one of his distant relatives. To his credit, Bendy seemed perfectly happy to be a ‘real’ boy. He’d always sort of wondered what it would be like to be a human. Although, it did take some getting used to. Sometimes he’d try to use hammerspace or execute a gag and was rather upset when he remembered he wasn’t a toon anymore. He also had a bit of a temper on him. Currently, Henry was sitting in the principal’s office next to his ‘son’. 

“Henry, thank you for coming.” The principal smiled tiredly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “I’m sorry to drag you away from work in the middle of the day. Again.”

“It’s alright. Really.” Henry smiled softly, a hand on Bendy’s shoulder. It looked like Bendy had been crying. He wanted to make sure the little demon knew he was there for him. 

“As I mentioned on the phone, Benjamin got into another fight.” The principal glanced at Bendy. “He bit another boy.”

“Daniel called me a sissy for wearing a skirt!” Bendy looked defiantly up at the principal. “And he called Erika a mean name!”

“And he’s being punished, dear.” The principal assured him. 

“Ben, you can’t go around biting people.” Henry ruffled Bendy’s hair. “I know you were sticking up for your friend, but you can’t resolve your problems with violence. Remember what we say?”

“Don’t be like Joey,” Bendy said, hanging his head.

“That’s right.” Henry nodded. “Don’t be like Joey.” Henry was continually thankful that the administration of the school didn’t ask about his past with Joey Drew. They didn’t know everything, but they knew enough to know that Joey was a subject that was best avoided. They’d heard stories, after all, everyone had. And there was a look in Henry’s eyes that told them that he’d seen horrors the likes of which they could never imagine. 

“Well, I think that clears everything up.” The principal nodded, shuffling some paperwork on her desk. “Although, Benjamin will have to stay in for recess for a few days.” 

“Fudge,” Bendy muttered, glowering at his sneakers.

“It’s only for a few days,” Henry said. “You can play with your friends after that.”

“…Okay.”

“That’s all. Thank you again for coming.” The principal stood, shaking Henry’s hand. “I hope to see you at the next PTA meeting, as well.”

“It’s no problem,” Henry assured her. “I’ll try my best to make the meeting, although I don’t know if I’ll be welcome.”

“I’ll talk to Helen about what she said last time.” The principal squeezed Henry’s hand tighter. “She was out of line.”

“Thank you.” Henry nodded, turning and leading Bendy out of the office. Bendy was rather silent on the way to the car, staring at his shoes quite a bit. 

“Are you mad at me?” He asked quietly once they got into the car. 

“What would make you think that?” Henry asked, brow furrowed as he looked over at Bendy. Bendy shrugged, beginning to fidget with his skirt. 

“You had to come to the principal’s office again.” He murmured. “And Bridgette’s mom says I’m a troublemaker.”

“Bridgette’s mom is…She means well.” Henry hesitated for a moment. He didn’t care for Bridgette’s mother very much. Helen had…strong opinions about how children should be raised and Henry didn’t agree with quite a lot of them. He’d gotten in quite a few fights with her over things she’d said about his son. 

“But is she right? Am I a troublemaker?” Bendy looked up at Henry with wide eyes, and Henry felt his heart begin to melt.

“You’re my little dancing demon.” Henry leaned over and wrapped Bendy in his arms. “It’s your job to be a troublemaker.  _My_  troublemaker. Besides, you were only protecting your friend. How could I be mad about that?” Bendy seemed to consider this for a moment, then hugged Henry back. 

“You’re really not mad?”

“I’m really not mad.” Henry pulled away and kissed Bendy’s head. Bendy squealed and covered his face with his hands. Henry laughed softly to himself. 

“Let’s get you home.” He said. “Annette and Vincent are coming over tonight, so I want you to get your homework out of the way.” Bendy groaned loudly and made a big show of complaining about how much effort doing homework required. But Henry could tell he was happy. That was enough for him. All he wanted now was to have his son be happy and healthy.


	100. Henry's PTA Meeting

So, after the [last story](http://queenofcats17.tumblr.com/post/176685521860/hi-sorry-i-havent-talked-in-awhile-i-kind-of) I wrote, [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) asked if I would write Henry going to a PTA meeting. 

This is a bit late. ^^”

Also inspired by [this ](https://askthesaudadecharactersbatimau.tumblr.com/post/176581440443/bornoffireandwisdom-huh-what-do-you-mean)picture

* * *

Henry hadn’t really been in the habit of going to PTA meetings before enrolling Bendy in school. But Annette had encouraged him to attend. She’d said it would be good for him to have a say in what the school was doing. Henry had to admit she had a point. He cared about Bendy more than anything else and wanted to make sure his son’s school experience was a good one. For the most part, he was glad Annette had convinced him to attend. It was nice to have a say in the way things were run. It reminded him of the better days of the studio. The only problem was the other parents. The majority of them were lovely people, but there were a few who were…Well, forceful would be a nice way to put it. There was a selection of parents who had very strong opinions about how children should be raised. Henry often found himself butting heads with them.

Today was one of those days. It was a few days after Bendy’s little scuffle, and boy did Daniel’s mother, Karen, and Karen’s friend Helen have quite a lot to say to Henry when he arrived. 

“Well, look who finally arrived.” Helen glowered at Henry over the top of her glasses. 

“Helen, please behave.” The principal sighed, giving Helen a warning look. “Hello, Mr. Williams.”

“Sorry, I’m late.” Henry smiled apologetically and took a seat. 

“It’s quite alright.” The principal assured him with a smile. “I’m just glad you could make it.” Karen and Helen both huffed quietly and glowered at Henry. 

“Miss Inez, what’s on the agenda for today?” The principal turned to her assistant, who cleared her throat while shuffling some papers. 

“Well, we need to talk about the upcoming field trips, there are a few budgetary kinks we need to work out, and of course Helen and Karen both insisted on discussing some disciplinary issues,” Inez said. 

“Yes, why don’t we start with the disciplinary issues?” Karen smiled maliciously. Henry found himself sighing to himself. Did she really think she was going to intimidate him into doing things her way? She was far from the most terrifying thing he’d met. The principal echoed Henry’s sigh, massaging her temples. 

“Go on then.” She waved vaguely towards Karen. 

“Something must be done about that little demon of yours, Mister Williams!” Karen stood up, slamming her hands on the table. “This isn’t the first time he’s beaten up my dear sweet, Daniel! He’s a menace!”

“Huh, what do you mean, Karen? My son’s not a demon.” Henry said calmly. “You’re just jealous that my kid has manners.” Karen’s face turned a rather lovely shade of red. 

“Why I never!” She sputtered. 

“He’s constantly attacking other children!” Helen stood up beside her friend, a hand on Karen’s shoulder. 

“He defends his friends,” Henry replied, folding his hands calmly on the table. “Bendy’s been raised to help people who need it. Regarding this past incident, Daniel called my son a sissy for wearing a skirt and then said something quite rude to a girl named Erika. Bendy’s reaction might not have been the best one, but he was standing up for what he believed in. If we’re going to harp on anything in the situation, it would be  _your_  son’s behavior.”

“Well, maybe your son shouldn’t have been wearing a skirt!” Karen shot back. “And I’m sure Erika did something to warrant the name!” It was clear that Henry had the high ground here, but Karen didn’t like it when her failings were pointed out.

“Karen, maybe you should lower your voice,” Helen whispered, eyes darting around the room. All eyes were on the two women, and Helen didn’t like being in the spotlight like this. 

“He can’t just come in here and try to tell me I’m not raising my son right!” Karen insisted. 

“Karen.” The voice of the principal was enough to silence the irate mother. In an instant, all the fire went out of her. 

“I’m not doing anything wrong.” Karen murmured, shaking her head. Helen glanced at Henry, her expression something between irritation and pity. 

“Benjamin has been punished for this infraction.” The principal continued. “But I have been meaning to speak to you about Daniel’s behavior, Karen. That’s a meeting for another day, though.”

“Back to the subject at hand.” Inez cleared her throat. “We need to discuss the upcoming budget.”

The rest of the PTA meeting went off without a hitch. Karen and Helen were both rather silent, only chiming in occasionally. Henry did feel a bit bad for the two of them. He didn’t know much about their home lives, but he was sure they were going through their own struggles. He wished them a good night when the meeting concluded, but they both turned away from him. Sighing, Henry made his way back to the car. He was looking forward to being home. It had been a long day.


	101. Chapter 101

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi I had an interesting idea for a story! Do you think you could write something with Henry and Annette after they escaped? Maybe Henry is confused by his memory block and doesn't understand why he's having strange dreams and how his body had gotten so weak? Sorry if this idea is stupid or confusing. I just thought it would be cool and interesting. You don't have to write this if you don't want to, it's completely fine. I don't want to bother you.**

A lot of feelings are going to be felt. 

* * *

It had been about a month since Annette, Henry, and Sammy had escaped from the studio with the help of Murray Hill. After escaping, Annette had been more than a little worried about Henry. Murray had cured him and Sammy of their corruption, but Henry had been comatose for nearly a week afterward. When he finally woke up, Annette almost felt like crying from the sheer relief flooding her. There was only one problem…Henry didn’t remember anything about his time at the studio. He remembered going into the studio, but nothing else.

“What happened in there?” He asked, holding a hand to his head. Sammy stiffened at the mention of the studio. The hand holding his teacup began to shake. Fear lanced through Annette. She’d seen how devastated Henry had been to learn that his best friend was actually a monster. She knew how he’d struggled after being corrupted, as Joey whispered sweetly into his ear to try and get him to hurt others. The visit to the studio had been Hell for him. She didn’t want to make him relive all that. 

“Nothing. There was nothing there.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. 

“Really?” Henry tilted his head to the side, curiously. 

“Yeah.” Annette forced a smile, handing him an ice pack. “I mean, you did get hit on the head pretty bad by a board, but nothing else happened.” Henry frowned, glancing at Sammy. 

“How did Sammy get here?”

“I ran into him coming out of the studio with you.” She looked back at Sammy as well. “He looked kind of rough, so I offered to let him stay here.” 

“Well, alright.”

She didn’t like lying to him, but this had to be better, right? She was sparing him the pain. For the next week or so, she and Sammy took care of Henry. He helped her in the garden when he was feeling up to it, but most days he felt too tired to do much of anything. 

“He’s going to figure out you lied,” Sammy told her one day as they both worked in the garden. 

“This is Henry we’re talking about,” Annette replied. “It might take a bit.” Sammy let out an involuntary snort before composing himself. 

“Henry’s dense nature aside,” he continued. “Something does need to be done about the studio. There are still others who are trapped.” Annette’s shoulders slumped and she nodded solemnly. 

“I know.” She stared down into the dirt. She didn’t want to go back. She didn’t even want to think about that place. But Sammy was right. There were people who were still down there. People like Wally, who’d helped her, Henry, and Sammy escape.

“We’ll be prepared this time.” Sammy was trying to sound comforting, but his voice was shaking.

“One step at a time.” Annette patted his back. “Let’s talk about it later. You hungry?” Sammy nodded weakly. They both went inside. Henry was asleep on the couch, as he often was. He alternated between sleeping in the bed Annette had provided and the couch. He’d been in the middle of reading, apparently, the book laying on top of his face.

“30 years and he hasn’t changed a bit.” Sammy smiled softly at Henry. 

“At least when he’s tired he doesn’t raid my pantry as much,” Annette said, beginning to cook lunch. “I had to start hiding all the sweets when we became friends because if I didn’t he’d just eat them all.”

“He and Norman’s sister Wendy used to do the same thing at the studio.” Sammy laughed, but the expression quickly faded. “I hope she’s alright.”

“I’m sure she’s fine.”

They lapsed into silence after that, both staring solemnly into space. About half an hour later, though, Henry woke up screaming. He sat bolt upright, the book falling to the floor as he opened his mouth and started yelling. Annette dropped what she was doing to run over to him. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, hands on Henry’s shoulders. “What happened?”

“I…I had a nightmare.” Henry drew into himself, his whole body shaking. “I dreamed…I dreamed that Joey was doing…Doing terrible things to everyone in the studio.”

“Oh.” Annette glanced back to where Sammy had been standing. He was on the floor in the fetal position, starting to cry as he held his head in his hands. 

“I-It’s okay.” Annette forced herself to stay calm, smiling at Henry. “It’s just a dream.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Henry said, looking helplessly up at Annette. “It’s not the first time I’ve had that dream either.” Annette’s breath caught in her throat. Of course he’d have nightmares about what happened in the studio. She and Sammy both had them too. 

“Annette…What happened in the studio?” Henry’s voice was soft. “Sammy’s not okay, you’re not okay, and I’m pretty sure I’m not okay either. Something happened there. Why won’t you tell me what it was?” Annette’s shoulders slumped, her hands falling away from Henry. 

“I didn’t want to put you through that again.” She said. 

“It hurts more not to know.”

“Alright. I’ll tell you.”

She told him everything that had happened to the best of her knowledge. There had been a lot that had gone down that she didn’t know about, so Sammy had to fill in some blanks once he’d calmed down. By the end of it, Henry was silent. He stared down at his lap. 

“I need some time alone.” He said. 

“Okay.” Annette got up, ushering Sammy out of the room. Now alone, Henry began to cry quietly. 


	102. Chapter 102

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey.. I'm trying to get back into writing for my AU again. So I thought I'd send in a story idea I had. I always loved reading the things you wrote for my AU and the characters so I thought maybe sending in a prompt would help me get comfortable with writing again.. sorry if that sounds confusing. My idea was a story with Stage 4 Henry and Allison and Tom, at their safe house. I just thought it would be interesting. You don't have to write this if you don't want to.. It's fine.**

I kind of missed your prompts, honestly. I’m sorry you’re not feeling so great right now, but I’m happy to write this for you.

* * *

Tom and Allison didn’t encounter many people in the studio. They tended to stay on the lower levels, avoiding anyone who could tell Joey of their location. Occasionally they’d run across Sammy on the level most of the Lost Ones resided at, but they’d all agreed that the Lost Ones’ village was a neutral zone. Regardless, there weren’t a lot of people who sought them out for any reason. Which was why it was so surprising when Bendy the Dancing Demon came running to them with what appeared to be a half-dead human on his back. This in itself was strange. They didn’t see humans too often. 

“Bendy, what are you doing down here?” Allison asked, kneeling down so she was eye level with the little demon. He never came this far down into the studio. And she was fairly certain she’d never seen him this distraught before. He was normally so bright and chipper, despite the current situation they found themselves in. He always found it fun to tease Tom.

“You gotta help him.” Bendy was in tears, pushing the human toward Allison and Tom. “H-He’s starting to lose it. I can’t lose him! Please! Help!” Allison turned her attention to the man on Bendy’s back, reaching out to him. Tom quickly pulled her back though.

“Tom! What was that for?” She pulled her arm away, giving him a warning look. Tom pointed to the man on Bendy’s back, making a gesture. The gesture that he’d developed to mean ‘infected’. Allison froze, looking cautiously down at Bendy and the man. 

“Bendy…Did you bring an infected creature down here?” She asked slowly, using her calmest and kindest voice. Bendy nodded, sniffling as he held the man close. 

“Please, you gotta help him.” He repeated.

“Who is he?” Tom tightened his grip on his ax. He and Allison had worked hard to stay out of Joey’s gaze and away from anything that might turn them into creatures like Allison.

“It’s Henry,” Bendy said. “He  _made_  me.”

“Henry?” Allison and Tom said together. 

“Y-You guys know him, right?” Bendy allowed himself a hopeful smile. “He’s your friend, right? So you’ll help him, right?” They certainly knew  _of_  Henry, but neither had ever actually met him. Sammy and Norman had talked about him a lot, having worked with him, but neither brought him up when Joey was around. Henry had always been a…sensitive topic when it came to Joey. The studio head’s obsession had likely only grown with the addition of black magic. 

“Look, kid-” Tom started to speak, ready to tell Bendy to take Henry back upstairs. It was too dangerous to have him around.

“We’ll take him back to the safehouse.” Allison interrupted him. “We can keep an eye on him there, okay?” Tom’s head snapped around so he was looking at Allison.

“Just trust me,” Allison said, putting a comforting hand on Tom’s shoulder. She had that look in her eyes. Allison had always been a very maternal person, so her attachment to Bendy was understandable. Bendy was just a scared little kid most of the time. So Tom didn’t argue with her when she indulged Bendy’s whims. But this…This was different. Still, when faced with her pleading gaze, he conceded. 

“Alright. But the kid has to carry him.”

And so they made their way back to the safehouse. Henry stirred a few times but mostly stayed out until they’d set him up in a makeshift cell. They didn’t like it, but they couldn’t just leave him out in the open. There was always the possibility he’d transition into stage 5 and try to attack them while they slept.

“I don’t like putting him in there,” Bendy said as Tom finished boarding up the entrance. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It’s for his protection and ours,” Allison assured him. “He can’t hurt himself in there.” And he couldn’t hurt them either. They couldn’t be infected themselves, but the Searchers tended to attack anything that wasn’t one of their own.

“You hungry?” Tom asked, stepping in to try and take Bendy’s mind off the situation. 

“A little.” Bendy nodded. 

“Hope you like soup.” Tom went to retrieve a can from their stash. “‘Cause it’s all we’ve got.”

“I  **do** like soup.” Bendy smiled slightly.

“Why don’t you get yourself a bowl?” Allison patted his head. “I’m sure we have one around here somewhere.”

“A bowl?” Bendy’s eyes widened. “A **real** bowl? Joey never lets me eat out of a real bowl!”

“That’s because Joey is a big dumb stinky who doesn’t share,” Allison said. 

“Yeah!” Bendy grinned before scampering off to find the aforementioned bowl. With him gone, Allison turned her attention back to Henry, who was just waking up. 

“Wha…? Where am I?” He sat up and looked around blearily. “Am I…in a cage?”

“Well, it’s a cell.” Allison smiled apologetically. “It was too dangerous to leave you out in the open. I hope you understand.”

“I do. Don’t worry.” Henry drew into himself a bit, hugging his knees. “I don’t want to hurt anyone again.”

“Again?” A growl entered Tom’s voice.

“Tom.” Allison shot him a warning look. 

“I almost infected Annette.” Henry took a deep, shuddering breath. “I almost…I almost hurt her.” He buried his face in his hands, trying to fight back tears. 

“Who’s Annette?” Allison asked. But Henry wouldn’t answer, devolving into sobs. Bendy returned a few minutes later with a bowl and a salvaged spoon. Allison tried to direct his attention away from the distraught animator, but Bendy kept glancing back at Henry.

.

The next day, although day was a relative term when you couldn’t tell if it was light or dark, Allison tried asking about Annette again. Henry seemed a bit more stable since he’d stopped crying, although Allison had been able to hear him muttering to someone while she’d been trying to sleep. 

“Henry, who’s Annette?” She asked. 

“She’s my friend,” Henry replied. “She came here with me. I should have sent her away. I shouldn’t have let her come to this place.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Tom said. “None of us could have predicted Joey would go this far.” He was sitting a safe distance away, tinkering with his mechanical arm. Bendy had gone out to visit Sammy and the Lost Ones, so the angel and wolf had decided to get their information. 

“Tom’s right.” Allison agreed. “We came back, all of us. None of us knew how dangerous it was going to be.” 

“She’s probably safer without me there.” Henry continued. “Boris can keep her safe better than I can.” It was at this point that he finally got a good look at Allison and Tom. He frowned, tilting his head to the side. 

“Who…Who are you two?” He asked. 

“I’m Allison, and that’s Tom.” Allison gestured to herself and then Tom.

“Did you….work here?”

“Unfortunately.” Tom snorted. “I fixed machines and Alli did voices.”

“I was a voice actress.” Allison corrected him. “Joey brought me on to replace Susie as Alice Angel. You can tell how well that turned out.” 

“I’m sorry.”

“No reason for you to be sorry, kid,” Tom said. “You didn’t do this. Drew did.”

“Still, I must be causing you some kind of trouble.” Henry insisted. “I’m infected. You must be scared I’ll infect you too.”

“You don’t need to worry about infecting anyone down here.” Allison reached through the slats of the cell to put a hand on Henry’s knee. “For whatever reason, perfect toons can’t be corrupted by the ink.” Imperfect toons were another story altogether. But that wasn’t important.

“Besides, it’s not like any of us can say no to that little demon.” Tom tried to sound as though he was inconvenienced by this, but Allison could see he was smiling. Henry allowed himself to smile as well. 

“He’s pretty cute, huh?” He said, rubbing the back of his head. “I never thought I’d get to meet him in real life, but he’s just as amazing I always imagined him.”

“He’s a good kid,” Tom said. Henry felt a warmth in his chest at this, almost a surge of pride. He wondered if this was what it was like to be a parent. He’d never gotten to experience the feeling before, due to Linda’s death. The only good thing that had come out of returning to the studio was meeting Boris and Bendy. Especially Bendy. 

.

That night, Bendy slipped into the cell to sleep with Henry. Despite Allison, Tom, and Henry’s warnings, he didn’t want his ‘father’ to be alone while he was going through this. So Bendy slept snuggled in Henry’s arms. Henry couldn’t help but watch Bendy sleep in the same way he imagined a parent would watch their child sleep. Bendy looked so young when he was sleeping. 

“ _We could all be a family if you’d just let me in,_ ” Joey whispered, and Henry could feel his old friend’s hands on his back. “ _It could be everything you’ve ever imagined. We could be happy._ ”

“Go away,” Henry said. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“ _Come on, don’t you want to be a father?_ ” Joey purred. “ _I know it’s something you’ve always wanted._ ”

“If I’m going to be a father, it will be on my terms, not yours.” Henry held Bendy a little closer. The little demon stirred a bit, burrowing closer before settling back into sleep.

“ _Henry, don’t be difficult._ ” Joey pressed his ghostly cheek against Henry’s. “ _I don’t want to make this any more difficult than it has to be._ ”

“I told you, go away,” Henry repeated. “There’s no one you can force me to infect down here. There’s no one you can make me hurt.” For a moment, Joey was silent. Then Henry felt him smile. 

“ _Oh, Henry. You have no idea how much pain I’m capable of inflicting._ ”

A moment later, he was gone. Henry was left staring at the shelves outside his cell. 

“Henry? Are you alright?” Allison’s bleary voice came from around the corner, where she and Tom slept. 

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He hoped his voice wasn’t shaking as much as he thought it was. 

“…Alright.” He could hear her shift as she rolled over, presumably to go back to sleep. Henry closed his eyes, focusing on the comforting weight of Bendy in his arms. They were going to be alright. They were going to be fine. 


	103. Coming Clean

So, [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA)  / [@askthesaudadecharactersbatimau](https://tmblr.co/mFx0-NBGZnw4pz4-aJQ7lBA) asked for a sequel to the last story I [did](http://queenofcats17.tumblr.com/post/179921598845/hey-im-trying-to-get-back-into-writing-for-my) where Henry comes clean about hearing Joey’s voice in his head. 

* * *

Henry knew he needed to tell the others just what being infected by the ink entailed. Bendy understood it, but the other two didn’t. They didn’t know he had Joey whispering in his mind almost all the time. He was fairly certain if they had known before that Joey could see through his eyes, they wouldn’t have let him into their safe house at all, but they’d already passed that point. He was alone in the safe house right now. Allison and Tom had taken Bendy out for another visit to the Lost Ones and Sammy. The little devil had also wanted to check on Norman to make sure the projectionist wasn’t lonely. Allison and Tom hadn’t been….thrilled about that, but if anyone could approach Norman without getting hurt it was Bendy.

“I know you’re here, Joey,” Henry said. “Come on out.” He could always tell when Joey decided to “visit” him. It was hard to describe the sensation he experienced, but it was something akin to a pressure in his head. 

“ _And here I thought you didn’t want to talk to me._ ” Joey appeared in front of him, incorporeal and slightly see-through. “ _Are you finally starting to come around?_ ”

“No.” Henry raised his tired gaze to meet Joey’s eager one. “If you’re going to invade my mind, I’d rather be able to see you while you do it.”

“ _You’re no fun._ ” Joey pouted, folding his arms. He really was like a petulant child. 

“You know where we are, don’t you?” Henry murmured. “Why are you torturing me like this? Why don’t you just send someone to destroy all this already? I know you want to.”

“ _I’m waiting for the right moment, my dear._ ” Joey laughed, tapping Henry’s nose with one spectral finger. “ _Half the fun is the suspense!_ ” AKA he was just enjoying watching Henry squirm. Maybe he really thought he could force Henry to do what he wanted. Henry drew away, hugging his knees and pressing his back against the wall of his little cell. He was becoming accustomed to the sight of his own body covered in ink, a fact that made him feel sick. Joey watched him, head tilted to the side in a manner that almost might have seemed adorable, had Henry not known what a monster the man standing before him truly was. 

“ _I don’t want to hurt you like this, you know._ ” Joey’s expression grew mournful as he took a step forward, cupping Henry’s face in his hands. “ _If you’d only stayed, none of this would have happened._ ” Henry gritted his teeth. The thought had crossed his mind more than once since he’d ended up in this place. Maybe if he’d just stayed…Maybe if he hadn’t left, Joey wouldn’t have gone off the rails. Maybe he could have prevented this.

“No.” He shook his head, trying to push Joey away. “No, you can’t guilt trip me like this. It wasn’t my fault!” 

“ _You were my only friend, Henry._ ” Joey rested his forehead against Henry’s, causing a chill to pass through Henry’s body. “ _All I ever wanted was to have you by my side. You brought out the best in me. You pushed me to make the right decisions. You should have pushed a little harder._ ”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was my responsibility to make sure you didn’t kill people.” Henry snapped. Joey drew back, glaring at Henry. 

“ _You were more fun before._ ” He folded his arms. 

“My deepest apologies.”

Joey’s eyes flashed red, his face twisting into a mask of fury for a moment before he returned to his normal offputting smile. 

“ _Oh Henry._ ” He said. “ _Henry Henry Henry. You can insult me all you like, but I can feel your fear. I know I’m getting to you. Eventually, I will wear you down. You **will** be mine._” Mercifully, that was the last thing Joey had to say, as he disappeared right after saying that. Henry groaned, collapsing onto the cot. Joey had been showing up in his mind more and more often. He drifted off to sleep. For once, he didn’t have any nightmares. 

He woke up to Allison and Bendy singing together. It was a song from one of the episodes, specifically Siren Serenade. Henry had never seen the episode himself, but he recognized the tune as one he’d heard Sammy play before. Henry sat up, rubbing his eyes. Well…Eye. The other was covered by ink. Bendy and Allison were by the wall, Bendy sitting on a table and watching as Allison drew on the wall, both singing the song from Siren Serenade. Tom was making soup not too far away, smiling to himself. Henry’s throat felt tight watching the scene. Him being there was putting them in danger. 

“You’re awake!” Bendy stopped singing when he saw Henry was awake, his face lighting up as he scrambled off the table and ran over to him. 

“Did you have fun visiting Sammy and Norman?” Henry asked. 

“Mm-hm!” Bendy nodded. “I watched some cartoons with Norman and it was fun! I think he gets lonely down there sometimes.”

“Yeah, he probably does.” Henry reached through the slats of the cell to pat Bendy’s head. “You’re probably the only one who can approach him without him freaking out.”

“Yeah.” Bendy’s smile wavered a bit. The mood in the safe house darkened a bit, almost as if they were all being reminded of the situation they found themselves in. 

“Oh, Henry,” Allison spoke up after a moment. “There was something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“I thought I heard you talking the other night. Was there someone else here?”

Henry swallowed instinctively. Now was the time to tell them. Now was the time to come clean. 

“ _Are you sure you want to do that?_ ” Joey whispered in his ear. “ _They’ll throw you out if you do. And won’t Bendy be upset about that?_ ” Henry didn’t reply to him, taking a deep breath. 

“There’s something I need to tell you all.” He said. 

“ _They’ll be angry. They might even kill you._ ” Joey continued. “ _Do you want to make Bendy witness that?_ ” To Henry’s surprise, he could hear a hint of desperation in Joey’s voice. Why did Joey care about this? Why did it matter if the others knew about the annoying voice in Henry’d head?

“What is it?” Allison asked, smiling nervously. “Your tone is worrying me.” Tom paused in stirring the soup, watching Henry over his shoulder. Bendy looked up as well, similarly worried. 

“ _Don’t tell them. Don’t you dare tell them!_ ” Joey’s calm composure was gone. He started stamping his foot on the ground and waving his fists like a child. 

“Joey’s been talking to me,” Henry said. “In my head. I’m pretty sure it’s a side-effect of being infected.”

“Oh, is that all?” Allison seemed to relax a bit at this.

“You’re not…angry?” With how upset Joey was getting, his old friend was starting to shriek as he stormed about the cell, Henry had expected a bigger reaction.

“I mean, I already knew he did that.” Bendy said. 

“Drew’s head of that whole hive mind thing.” Thomas waved his spoon vaguely. “Figures he’d be talkin’ in your head.”

“We already kind of knew he did that sort of thing.” Allison nodded. “It’s not like it’s a big secret that he likes messing with people’s minds.” 

“ _YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO TELL THEM!_ ” Joey screamed, pounding his fists against the wall. Since he wasn’t actually there the hits didn’t connect, but Henry could hear him pounding somewhere in the studio. Henry winced. 

“Is he throwing a temper tantrum?” Tom asked, a small smirk appearing on his face. 

“Yeah.” Henry rubbed his head. “He’s really not happy I told you all that I can hear his voice. I don’t understand why, though.”

“He’s probably mad he can’t make you suffer alone anymore.” Bendy nodded sagely. Henry stared at him for a moment, stunned by the little demon’s astute observation. Although, it did make sense. Joey thrived on having power over other people. Allowing others to know what he was going through took away some of Joey’s power over Henry.

“Yes, I think you’re right.” Allison’s expression softened and she patted Bendy’s head. 

“I may not like the fact that you’re here,” Tom said, looking at Henry. “But you should know that you’re not alone, Williams. We’re not going to let you go through this alone, no matter how much you want to play the martyr.” 

Henry couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Tom turned back to the soup. “I mean it. Don’t tell anyone I said that. Can’t have anyone thinking I’ve gone soft.”

“Yes, you’re very scary.” Allison walked over to press a kiss to his cheek. “Such a fierce predator.”

“I have a reputation.” Tom huffed. Bendy snickered, covering his mouth with his hands. Tom glared at him, but it lacked any malice behind it. Henry leaned back on his cot, continuing to smile to himself. He may have been trapped in an inky Hell, but at least he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t ever going to be alone again.


	104. Chapter 104

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey the last couple stories you've made have been so great (though all of your stories are great too) and the last one gave me an interesting idea. Do you think you could write a story with Corrupted!Henry, Bendy, Allison and Tom? Where Henry is getting closer to the final stage and they're just trying to keep him calm. Now that they know about Joey talking to him, I just thought it would be cool. You don't have to write this if you don't want to though. It's fine, also sorry if this is stupid..**

Sorry this took so long. This gets a little emotional.

* * *

Henry hadn’t anticipated just how good it would feel to finally have others know that Joey was talking to him in his head. Whenever Joey started trying to mess with his head, Allison, Tom, and Bendy were there to take the wind out of his sails. Tom would make some snarky remark, Bendy would make a joke, and Allison reminded him of better days at the studio. All they needed to do was act as though Joey wasn’t even there and he’d eventually get frustrated and go away. It felt so good to have people supporting him again. Every so often, though, he worried about Annette. To make him feel better, Bendy had gone on an expedition to the upper levels to make sure she was alright. He’d managed to track her down and hurried back to tell Henry.

“She’s doing fine, Henry!” Bendy sat on the edge of Henry’s cot, kicking his legs back and forth. “Bo’s taking really good care of her! He says they found the kid you both were looking for and he’s gonna find a way to get them out!” Henry’s condition had been getting worse as of late, so he’d mostly been confined to his cot. Bendy had been visiting him a lot and snuggling up to him.

“That’s good to hear.” Henry reached out and squeezed Bendy’s hand. The ink had covered most of his body by this point. The only part still visible was half of his face. 

“They’re gonna be okay.” Bendy smiled. The sadness and fear were evident in his expression, no matter how much he tried to hide it. The little demon had seen people lost to the ink before, and it never got any easier.

“It’s okay, Ben.” Henry squeezed the little devil’s hand again. 

“But I don’t want to lose you.” Bendy’s smile faded. His voice was small. Henry felt a tug at his heart. 

“It’s not like I’m going to die.” He said. “I’ll still be here.”

“But you won’t be  **you** anymore.”

The two of them lapsed into silence. Henry would be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid of what was going to happen to him. He’d fought so hard to escape Joey’s tyranny and now he was going to be another one of Joey’s pawns. He would belong to Joey. 

“I love you, Bendy. Don’t ever forget that.” Henry said. 

“….Okay.”

Tom and Allison returned shortly after with their daily haul of soup. Bendy made his way out of the cell to get himself some of the soup. Tom gave him his portion while Allison wandered over to the cell door. 

“Are you hungry?” She asked. She already knew what the answer would be, but she wanted to ask anyway. 

“I’m not hungry.” Henry managed a weary smile. 

“Well, alright.” She hesitated, holding the bowl of soup to her chest. He hadn’t been eating for the past few days. She wasn’t sure if eating would do him any good, but it certainly would make the rest of them feel better. They were worried about him, and Henry could tell.

“I’m alright, really.” Henry tried to reassure her, despite the fact that he couldn’t even sit up. He was tired all the time now. 

“I know.” She smiled back before returning to Tom and Bendy. Bendy was eating the soup happily, humming to himself. He was one of the few creatures in the studio who actually seemed to enjoy the bacon soup. They were all sure he got that from Henry.

“Don’t eat so fast,” Allison said, patting Bendy’s head. “You’re going to give yourself a stomachache.”

“He eats the cans sometimes. I think he’ll be fine.” Tom snorted. Allison gave Bendy a look that could only be described as that of a disapproving mother, which caused Bendy to blush and hunch his shoulders. 

“Ben, you shouldn’t go eating cans,” Henry said from his cell. 

“Aw, c’mon!” Bendy whined. “It doesn’t hurt me!”

“Come to think of it…” Allison frowned. “How  **do**  ink creatures digest things? I mean…I don’t think they have organs. Not like humans.”

“Just don’t question it.” Tom shook his head. “I don’t understand how half of this works and I don’t want to.” 

“It’d probably make our heads hurt trying to understand everything.” Henry laughed weakly. The adults all began to laugh, giving Bendy a chance to eat another can.

Eventually, Henry ended up falling asleep, allowing the others to allow their true feelings to come to the surface. Allison’s brows were knit with worry, Tom just looked tired, and Bendy kept wringing his tail in his hands. 

“There’s gotta be something we can do, right?” He asked, glancing from Allison to Tom. “We can save him, can’t we?”

“We can try, honey, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to do anything,” Allison said gently, gathering Bendy up in her arms. “No one has been able to find a cure for the corruption.” They couldn’t even save themselves, how were they supposed to save Henry?

“We have to do something,” Bendy repeated weakly. He was on the verge of tears. Allison made soothing sounds, bouncing him and patting his back gently. Tom smiled to himself as he watched her. He loved how kind and gentle she was, even in the face of such a terrible situation.

“We’ll figure this out, kid,” Tom said. Bendy sniffled again, clinging to Allison. 

“You guys are really nice.” He murmured.

“I’m glad you think so.” Allison smiled softly. “I know Tom can be a bit of a curmudgeon sometimes-”

“I am not!” 

“You are too.” She gave him a stern look before continuing. “In any case, he may be a bit of a curmudgeon, but he does truly care about you.” Tom grumbled something about having a reputation to uphold, folding his arms and sulking. Bendy giggled a bit at this. 

“You can pout all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re a good person, Tom.” Allison leaned over and kissed his head. Tom sunk lower in his chair and Bendy could have sworn the wolf was blushing. 

“Um…Thank you.” Bendy said quietly. 

“For what?” Allison asked, looking down at him. 

“For letting me and Henry in here.” Bendy started to fidget. “You didn’t have to do that. And you didn’t have to take care of us. But you did. So…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, honey.” She’d always wanted to be a mother. 


	105. Chapter 105

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey sorry I didn't send the prompt I was going to send yesterday. I was just totally exhausted.. I think I might be getting sleep deprived. Anyway, could you please write a story with Henry, Bendy, Allison and Tom, where when everyone is asleep Joey appears again and starts messing with his head and Henry's too tired to fight anymore, almost giving in to his corruption but luckily Bendy wakes up and stops it in time? Sorry if my idea is stupid. You don't have to write this if you don't want to..**

Don’t worry about it. Take care of yourself, alright?

* * *

Henry felt undeniably better now that everyone else knew about Joey’s crusade to break his mind. He had support, people to rely on. He wasn’t alone in this. Unfortunately, Henry having support didn’t mean that Joey was going to stop trying to mess with him. Joey’s strong suit had always been manipulation and planning. Henry’s new support system just meant he had to be more careful about when he appeared to his old friend. He started appearing when everyone was asleep, or when they were out in the studio. Moments when Henry was alone with his thoughts. He was starting to wear Henry down. Time seemed to work differently for the studio, so Henry had no idea how long he’d been in that cell. He knew he was in there for everyone’s safety. He knew it was better that he stay there. But it was starting to get to him. He was starting to lose hope, and Joey knew it. 

 _“Wouldn’t it just be easier to give in?”_  Joey whispered, cupping Henry’s face in his hands.  _“Fighting is so hard, isn’t it? Just let me win. You’ll be happier. It’ll be like it was before.”_ It was night, or at least the time when everyone had decided to sleep, so no one was awake to help the old animator. Not even Bendy, who always jumped up to make Henry feel better. The little demon had tired himself out and was sleeping soundly against Henry’s chest. 

“Just leave me alone,” Henry said. His words lacked any force behind them, though. 

 _“Don’t you miss what we used to have, Henry?”_  Joey smiled, and for a moment Henry could almost pretend the past few decades hadn’t happened. He  _had_ missed Joey. He reached up to touch Joey’s spectral hand. Joey’s smile widened, but not in a malicious way. His smile was bright and pure, just as it had been when they’d been children. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be with Joey again. 

Then he heard Allison whimper and roll over. Henry quickly withdrew his hand. He couldn’t forget everything Joey had done to the inhabitants of the studio, and to him. Joey’s smile faded into a pout. 

 _“Oh come on.”_  He folded his arms. _“Why do they matter to you? You don’t even **know**  half of them.”_

“Just because I don’t know them doesn’t mean I shouldn’t care about what you did to them,” Henry said. Joey narrowed his eyes. Damn Henry and his selflessness. Then again, that was one of the reasons he loved Henry so much. His attention drifted down to the little demon nestled in Henry’s arms, and his smile returned. 

 _“This must be very hard on Bendy.”_ He put on his best sympathetic expression.  _“You’re only making this worse for him by delaying the inevitable.”_

“Joey, I don’t want to do this right now.” Henry snapped, but there was a quaver in his voice. Joey had found his weak point.

 _“Seeing the man he calls a father losing himself like this, it must be terrible.”_ Joey continued.  _“You both know that sooner or later you’ll lose this battle. Why are you torturing him like this, Henry? Wouldn’t it be better to just rip the band-aid off? I’m sure he’d learn to love the new you.”_

“Joey stop.” Henry’s voice was pleading, but Joey refused to relent. 

_“You’re building him up only to let him down. There is no way out for any of you, and you know it. What’s going to happen when he finally realizes you’ve been lying to him?”_

“I’m not lying to him.” Henry shook his head, feeling tears beginning to well up in his only visible eye. 

 _“You’re never getting out of here, Henry.”_  Joey put his face right in front of Henry’s, so close that Henry could almost feel the other man’s breath on his skin.  _“You can’t save anyone. You can’t even save yourself.”_

“Stop.” Henry could feel his resolve beginning to slip under Joey’s barrage. He was just so tired. He wanted it all to be over. Joey was right. He  **couldn’t**  save anyone. Allison and Tom did a better job protecting Bendy than he ever could. Maybe Bendy would be better off without him. Maybe everyone would be better off if he just gave in and left them alone.

Suddenly, his attention was directed away from Joey. Bendy was stirring. The little demon opened one eye, looking blearily around. God, Bendy looked so small at that moment, curled up against Henry’s chest. It was easy to forget just how incredibly young the little demon was. 

“What’s up, bud?” Henry asked, forcing himself to smile. “Did you have a nightmare?”

“You were crying.” Bendy’s eyes snapped open.

“I wasn’t, I promise.” Henry kissed the little demon’s head. Bendy frowned, reaching up to hold Henry’s face in his hands. 

“You don’t need to pretend you’re fine when you’re not,” Bendy said, his expression very serious. “Your feelings are important too.” Henry’s expression softened. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He said. “But I’m fine, really.” Bendy frowned even more, hugging Henry tightly. 

“I know…I know things have been hard.” He pressed his face to Henry’s chest. “And I know you’re probably not feeling great, but…I’m here for you.” He sniffled a little bit. “I’m not gonna abandon you, no matter what happens. ‘Cause that’s what family does. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Henry’s breath caught in his throat. Joey vanished with a huff as Henry pulled back to look tearfully at his son. 

“You’re crying!” Bendy said, panicked. 

“It’s good crying.” Henry reached up to wipe away some tears. “You’re right, Ben. Family doesn’t abandon each other.” 

“So we’re…family?” Bendy asked, looking up at Henry with wide, hopeful eyes. 

“We’re family.” Henry nodded. “I’m proud to call you my son.” Bendy’s face split in a grin and he hugged Henry, squealing. 

“Is everything alright?” Allison’s voice came from the sleeping area. 

“Everything’s fine,” Henry assured her. And this time, he meant it. 


	106. Chapter 106

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey! I'm going out to lunch soon so I thought I'd send my idea now! Do you think you could write another story with Henry, Bendy, Allison, and Tom, where Henry unfortunately loses the battle and turns into a Searcher? And while everyone is sad about it, Joey takes him over and starts taunting them? Sorry if that sounds stupid, I just thought it would be super cool! Remember how you wrote something like that with Henry and 'Alice?' Anyway you don't have to write this if you don't want to!**

I’d love to! Your prompts always have such potential for emotion.

* * *

They’d known this day would come eventually. No matter how much they reassured Henry that they were there for him, no matter how much support they gave him, he was always going to succumb to Joey’s corruption. As the days passed, Henry grew progressively weaker as the ink consumed more of his body. Soon, Henry was too tired to even sit up. Talking was proving difficult for him as well, but he still made an effort for Bendy. In the days leading up to Henry’s final transformation, Bendy seldom left his side. Allison and Tom would go out for food every so often, or to check on the other inhabitants of the studio, but never together. One of them always stayed behind to look after Henry and Bendy. 

Tom mostly stayed quiet when he was with Bendy and Henry. He had never been an optimistic person. That was Allison’s strong suit. It was only because of her that he’d survived this long. Without her, he probably would have given up hope long ago and become nothing more than one of Joey’s little puppets. He had no helpful words to offer Bendy. He’d seen people succumb to the corruption before. He knew how this was going to end. It was a testament to Henry’s willpower that the animator had lasted as long as he had. Although, he was pretty sure the little demon wouldn’t want to hear that. 

“Is he still going to remember me?” Bendy asked one day. Allison was away collecting food and checking in on Sammy and the Lost Ones, so Tom was the only other one there. Well, there was Henry, but Henry was asleep. Tom hesitated at the question. 

“Probably.” He said after a moment. Despite their lack of cognizance, he knew Searchers could recognize people they knew. Jack recognized Sammy, after all, even if he couldn’t communicate. Tom had seen the former lyricist visiting the former music director in that little village.

“So he’ll still…He’ll still love me?” Despite the fact that the demon’s back was to him, Tom could still tell Bendy was on the verge of tears. He had to be careful about what he said here. He didn’t want to upset the kid.

“Kid, Drew can take his free will, but I don’t think he could ever take away Henry’s love for you.” He finally said. Bendy turned slowly to look at Tom. There were tears in his eyes, but he looked hopeful. 

“Really?” He asked quietly. Tom allowed himself a small smile. 

“Yeah, really.” He nodded. “You’re his kid. He’s always going to love you.” Bendy smiled a little, turning back to Henry. 

.

The next day, Henry succumbed. Allison and Tom watched from outside the cell while Bendy held Henry’s hand. It was like being with a family member dying of some deadly disease. Allison had never lost anyone that way, but she’d known people who had. She squeezed Tom’s hand as she watched Bendy and Henry. Henry was struggling to breathe now, the ink covering everyone but his left eye. Bendy had been crying for a while now, clinging to Henry’s ink covered hand. 

“Don’t go, Henry, please!” Bendy begged. Henry’s breathing was getting weaker. He turned his head, almost seeming to smile.

“Not…going…anywhere.” He said, his words barely audible. “Never…leaving you….again.” Then he went silent. His chest stopped rising and falling, and his eyes closed, the ink covering it. Bendy started screaming, shaking Henry’s body. Soon enough, Henry’s eye opened again. It was a glowing orb, like the eyes of the Lost Ones.

“Henry?” Allison asked quietly. The thing that had once been Henry sat up, looking around curiously. It didn’t seem to understand where it was. Bendy clamored out of the cell, running to Allison and hugging her legs. Allison gathered him up in her arms, patting his back as he sobbed into her chest. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” She said. “It’s going to be okay.” Henry oozed off the bad, falling to the ground in a puddle before reforming. He seemed harmless enough for the moment. 

“It’s going to be okay.” Allison repeated. “We’ll get him outside and you can stay with him.”

“But he’ll be with Joey!” Bendy wailed. 

“ ** _Did someone say my name?_** ” Suddenly, everything about Henry changed. He formed his ink into something that looked much more like a human body. His features were much more well defined. He had a sinister expression that didn’t belong on Henry’s face. And the voice coming out of his mouth wasn’t his. Tom instinctively reached for Allison’s hand. 

“ ** _What? Aren’t you happy to see me?_** ” Joey snickered, smiling with Henry’s face. Despite himself, Tom began to growl like the wolf he currently was. Allison reached for her sword. Bendy whimpered, pressing himself closer to Allison.

“ _ **So many sad faces.**_ ” Joey sighed and shook his head. “ _ **Come now, you know this would happen eventually. No one here can escape me. My power is absolute.**_ ” Henry’s face was twisted in a malicious grin. Allison and Tom were silent, frozen in fear. They hated Joey. But he was half-right. He had power in this place. And now he knew where they were. 

“ ** _What should I do with you now?_** ” Joey tapped an inky finger on his chin. “ _ **Of course, I need to get my dear boy back. But then what to do with you two…**_ ” His eye roved over Allison and Tom, smiling. 

“ ** _I’d love to have you join my family._** ” He continued. “ _ **I’m sure Bendy’s grown attached to you in the time he’s spent down here.**_ ” He looked to Bendy, smiling placatingly. “ _ **What do you think, dear? Would you like them to be part of our family?**_ ” 

Bendy had been quiet up until this point, just staring at Joey. But when Joey addressed him, his face twisted in rage. He launched himself off of Allison, screaming. He started clawing at Joey’s face. It was hard to understand exactly what he was shrieking at Joey, but both Allison and Tom were sure it wasn’t positive. Almost immediately, Joey vacated Henry’s body, leaving Bendy clutching Henry. Henry looked around again, confused once more. 

“You alright, kid?” Tom asked. Bendy was sobbing again, clinging to Henry’s body. Bendy shook his head. Henry looked down at Bendy, making a small cooing sound before wrapping his arms around the little demon. Allison relaxed a little bit. 

“Bendy, we need to get him out of here.” She said after a few minutes. They needed to move hideouts too. 

“Okay,” Bendy said quietly. He withdrew from Henry, smiling shakily. Henry smiled back, making a happy noise. They all left the safehouse, Bendy taking Henry to one of the upper levels while Allison and Tom went to search for another safehouse. Each of them, save for Henry, walked with their heads down, the shadow of what had happened looming over them. 


	107. Snow Day

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) / [@askthesaudadecharactersbatimau](https://tmblr.co/mFx0-NBGZnw4pz4-aJQ7lBA) asked for a story where Henry and Bendy have gotten out of the studio and Bendy sees snow for the first time. It was too cute not to write. 

* * *

Bendy had been living in Henry’s home for a few months when he saw snow for the first time. By this point, Bendy had mostly acclimated to life outside the studio and being human. But nothing in his life could have prepared him for seeing snow. Sure, he knew what snow was (after all, there was an episode where he’d built a snowman), but he’d never  _actually_  seen it. So, one morning, when he woke up and there was white outside, he lost his mind. He ran into Henry’s room, jumping on Henry’s bed and trying to shake him away. 

“Henry! Wake up!”

“Wha-? What’s going on?” Henry blinked blearily. “What’s happening?”

“There’s white outside, Henry! What does that mean?!” Bendy demanded, looking very concerned. Henry stared at him for a moment, trying to process what had just been said to him. 

“What…What do you mean there’s white outside?”

“I mean there’s white outside!” Bendy said, dragging Henry to his feet. “Come look!” He dragged Henry into the living room, pointing out the window. A thick layer of snow covered the world outside. 

“Oh, it snowed.”

“It…snowed?” Bendy looked up at Henry, frowning. 

“Have you not seen snow before?” Henry asked, unable to keep himself from smiling.

“Of course I’ve seen snow before!” Bendy sputtered, his cheeks turning red. “Just…not like this.”

“I guess it would look different in the cartoons.” Henry chuckled, ruffling Bendy’s hair. “You wanna go out and play in it?” Bendy’s eyes widened almost comically large. 

“I can…play in it?” He whispered, awestruck. 

“Of course.” Henry turned away. “I bought you snow pants and snow boots for this very reason.”

“ _That’s_  what those are for?” Bendy’s eyes widened further. 

“Do you want to put them on and play?”

“YES!!”

Henry got Bendy all dressed in his appropriate snow gear, which he thought his son looked absolutely adorable in, and sent him out to play. Henry mostly stayed out of the snow, but he did bring a camera to document Bendy’s adventures. Bendy was delighted to be out in the snow. He ran out and into the yard, falling face first into the snow.

“Henry! It’s so cold!” Bendy gasped, sitting up. His face was red, little bits of snow sticking to his skin. 

“Yeah, it does tend to be cold, buddy.” Henry laughed. He held up the camera and took some pictures as Bendy flopped around in the snow. The best part of this was seeing just how happy Bendy was. They were still feeling the effects of their time at the studio, but moments like these made it all seem worth it. They weren’t okay, not yet, but they had each other. 

“Henry! Henry, help me build a snowman!” Bendy said. 

“Sure thing, buddy.” Henry put the camera back in the house, walking over to join his son. 

“I haven’t made a snowman in forever!” Bendy said as they started to work. “I think I made one in the cartoons, but it melted.”

“Well, I don’t think this one will melt.” Henry gathered up some snow, forming it into a ball. “At least, not immediately.”   

“This is going to be great!” Bendy started slapping snow onto the lump that had already been made. Henry knew full well that this snowman was going to look like a disaster. He didn’t particularly care. As long as Bendy was having fun. 

“Do you want to put clothes on him, Ben?” Henry asked. “I’ve got some old hats and scarfs we could use.”

“Hmm.” Bendy made a big show of thinking this over. “What do you have?” Henry took him inside briefly to look over the clothing options for the snowman. 

After picking out a hat and scarf, as well as getting a carrot and some things for the eyes and mouth, they went back outside. The items were put in a bucket until the snowman was finished, at which point Bendy messily decorated their creation. It did look pretty awful, but Bendy was so proud of himself. 

“Mind if I take a picture of you with it?” Henry asked. “I want to remember this.” 

“Oh yeah! Sure!” Bendy nodded eagerly. “I want everyone to see how great our snowman is!” 

“I’m sure Annette will be very impressed.” Henry agreed, going in to get the camera. This was definitely going on his Christmas card. He didn’t send Christmas cards to many people, but he was sure Annette would like seeing this. Bendy posed adorably for the photo before wandering off to flop in the snow more. Once he was satisfied, Henry took him back inside to drink some cocoa. 

“Snow is great,” Bendy concluded as Henry handed him his mug. “Winter is now officially my favorite season.” 

“You said that about fall too.” Henry sat down opposite him. 

“I can change my favorites,” Bendy said, sipping his cocoa. “It’s not my fault seasons are amazing.”

“I know, I know.” Henry kissed the top of Bendy’s head. “Maybe tomorrow we can go sledding.”

“Sledding?” Bendy’s eyes lit up. “I’ve never been sledding before!”

“I think I’ve got an old sled in the garage.” Henry grinned. “It’s probably the right size for you.” 

“Is sledding fun?” Bendy kicked his feet against the couch. “It sounds like fun.”

“It can be fun.” 

“Will you come sledding with me?”

“I think I’m a bit big to fit on the sled.”

“Oh, okay.” Bendy shrugged, going back to drinking his cocoa. Henry watched him, smiling softly. He was glad he had the boy in his life. He regretted a lot of his choices, but saving Bendy had never been one of them. Bendy was the best thing to ever come out of his ill-fated friendship with Joey. 

“Hey, Ben?”

“Hm?” Bendy looked over, revealing he’d developed a whipped cream mustache. 

Henry laughed. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Henry!” Bendy grinned. “I love you lots!” Henry put down his mug, pulling Bendy into his arms. Bendy struggled a little bit, mostly because he didn’t want to spill his cocoa, but eventually snuggled into him. They were happy. That was all that mattered. 


	108. First Christmas Back

[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) asked if I could write a story about Norman’s first Christmas back with Wendy after getting rescued from the studio. And I thought it was too cute not to write. 

* * *

 

It was Norman’s first Christmas back since he’d been rescued from the studio and Wendy was determined to make it the best one she could. It had been a difficult year for all of them. She wanted to put all that had happened behind them, giving Norman happier memories than the ones he currently had. She had fond memories of Christmas with her brother when they’d been young. Maybe if she could recreate those memories, they’d all feel better. Norman was feeling better in general, but he still woke up nearly every night with nightmares. The shadow of Joey’s actions still hung over them. And she knew Christmas wouldn’t fix everything, but she thought it would at least make things a little better. So she started to plan out what Christmas would be like. She didn’t want it to just be her and Norman, so she invited Cordelia and Roy as well. 

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” Wendy quickly added after giving the invitation. “If you have other plans, I mean. I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

“We’d love to come!” Cordelia assured her. “We don’t have anything else planned. And, well, it does get a little lonely here.” She trailed off a bit. “Sorry. We’ll definitely be there. Do you want us to bring presents?”

“Only if you can afford it,” Wendy said. “I can’t really afford to get either of you anything. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright, really,” Cordelia said. “I completely understand. It’ll be nice to just see you both.” She laughed. “I think we’ve all gotten pretty close. Being with both of you...It’s almost like the old days.” The conversation abruptly petered off after that. 

“Sorry.” Cordelia sighed. “I..I didn’t mean to bring up the studio.”

“It’s alright,” Wendy said. “I’ll see you and Roy on Christmas, right?”

“Of course.”

Wendy sighed and hung up. Now to prepare. There was an artificial Christmas tree in the basement. She’d have to set that up. She went down and dragged the box upstairs. The noise drew Norman from his room where he’d been drawing. He tilted his head to the side as he watched his sister drag the box into the living room. 

“What’s going on?” He wrote on his sketchpad. 

“I’m getting the Christmas tree out,” Wendy explained. “Do you remember Christmas?” Norman screwed his face up in thought. 

“Kinda?”

“Well, technically it’s supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it’s become more about giving presents and being with family,” Wendy said. “And if you’re nice, Santa comes and gives you a present for being good all year.” Norman’s eyes widened. 

“Will Santa bring me presents?”

“I don’t know.” Wendy turned back to look at him, a smile tugging at her lips. “Have you been good?” Norman nodded fervently, making Wendy smile even more. 

“Do you want to help me decorate the tree?” She asked. “Once I get it up, I mean.” Norman nodded again, making happy noises as he put down his sketchpad. 

Wendy managed to get the tree up, but it did take a little effort. She then had to get the ornaments. Some of them were breakable, so she stowed those away. But the others were alright to put up. Some of them were ornaments that she and Norman had made as children, and she pointed those out.

“I made this in kindergarten.” Wendy laughed, holding up a small ornament made out of macaroni and paper. It was a heart, the border made of macaroni with a photo in the middle. The photo was of Norman and Wendy, both smiling and making goofy faces.

“It’s pretty bad, huh?” Wendy shrugged as she hung it on a branch. Norman shook his head, giving her a thumbs up. He seemed to enjoy hanging the ornaments on the branches. Whenever he found a particularly pretty one, he’d present it proudly to Wendy, who patted his head and told him it was lovely. 

The decorated tree did look rather nice. It was haphazardly decorated, but the ornaments the siblings had picked were ornaments that had special significance. Wendy smiled as she looked at the tree. It was almost like when she’d been young. Norman had tired himself out by that point, which gave her some time to wrap the presents she’d gotten for him. She’d picked the presents out weeks in advance, knowing that there weren’t a lot of times when Norman wasn’t with her. For the present from her, she’d picked out a new sketchbook and colored pencils. And for the present from ‘Santa’, she’d bought a soft, fuzzy sweater. She’d found that certain textures calmed Norman down when he was upset, soft and fuzzy textures being some of them. He also just generally liked sweaters.

The present from her went under the tree, while the one from “Santa” was hidden away in her closet for Christmas. As Christmas drew closer, Norman grew more and more excited in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. Wendy had also mentioned that Roy and Cordelia would also be coming over, which made Norman even more excited. It had been a little bit since he’d seen either Bell sibling. Both had been rather busy as of late. He’d asked a few times if they were giving him presents, which had led to Wendy awkwardly dodging the question.

When Christmas finally rolled around, Norman was the one to wake her up in the morning. The night before, they’d left out cookies and milk for “Santa” and when Norman had fallen asleep Wendy had taken a bite of the cookie and deposited her present to Norman beneath the tree. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw his eager face peeking over the side of her bed. She remembered being the one to wake Norman up on Christmas when she’d been young.

“You’re really excited, aren’t you?” She sat up in bed. Norman nodded eagerly, practically vibrating where he stood. She got up and followed him into the living room. Norman saw the extra present under the tree and the bite out of the cookie and turned back to Wendy, his eyes wide. He pointed excitedly, jumping up and down.

“It looks like Santa came.” She said. “Do you want to see what he got you?” Norman flopped down in front of the tree, grabbing the present and ripping off the paper. He stopped when he saw the sweater inside. The sweater was pink and fluffy, with an adorable kitty face on the front. He just stared at the sweater, an unreadable expression on his face. 

“What’s wrong?” Wendy knelt beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Norman made a small noise, pressing the sweater to his cheek and rubbing it. 

“Do you not like it?” 

Norman shook his head, taking his sketchpad and flipping to a fresh page. 

“It feels like home.” He wrote. When Wendy looked up at him, he was smiling with tears in his eyes. 

“Oh, Normy.” She smiled softly. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. 

“Why don’t you open the present I got for you while I answer the door?” She suggested, getting up. Norman nodded, picking up the package and beginning to unwrap it. When Wendy answered the door, she found Roy and Cordelia standing there, both smiling. Roy had a number of gifts in his arms.

“Merry Christmas!” Cordelia said before hugging Wendy. 

“Merry Christmas.” Wendy hugged her back awkwardly. “You didn’t have to get us anything, really.”

“We wanted to.” Roy smiled slightly. “Although, you should know some of this is food.”

“Well, I guess you should come in.” Wendy couldn’t help but smile as well, stepping aside so that the Bell siblings could enter. In the living room, Norman had put on his sweater and was now examining his new sketchpad.

“Look who came.” Wendy sat back down beside Norman. Norman waved excitedly as Cordelia sat down on the floor as well.

“Hello, Norman.” Cordelia smiled. Roy deposited the food in the kitchen before bringing the presents in. Norman’s eyes got even wider when he saw more presents. 

“These two are for you, and these are for you.” Roy handed the presents to each Polk sibling. Cordelia had given Norman a little plush cat and Wendy a new dress. Roy had given Norman a book on how to draw portraits and Wendy some new kitchen utensils. 

“Thank you.” Wendy started to tear up a little. It wasn’t so much the gifts that mattered, it was the thought. 

“You’re very welcome.” Cordelia wrapped her in a hug. “We wanted to make this Christmas a good one for both of you.”

“Thank you so much.” Wendy tried to wipe away her tears. Suddenly, Norman got up and ran off to his room, his stuffed cat clutched to his chest. Everyone in the living room frowned and exchanged confused looks. When Norman returned, he had three sheets of paper in his other hand. He excitedly handed them out to the others before sitting down again. 

He’d drawn a picture for each of them. The pictures depicted the person they’d been given to, generally with something Norman associated them with. Cordelia’s had her surrounded by a bunch of cats, Roy’s depicted him drawing (with little spiders thrown in), and Wendy’s had him and Wendy holding hands. He’d scratched out his head as usual, but other than that the siblings looked happy in the picture. 

“Aaw, thank you!” Cordelia said, pressing the drawing to her chest. She’d received a lot of pictures from her students and it always touched her heart to get one. Roy didn’t say anything, but he did crack a smile and laugh softly. 

“Thank you, Norman.” Wendy drew her brother into a hug. Norman beamed at the reactions. He didn’t really have the ability to get them all presents like someone else could, but he’d wanted to give them something anyway. He loved all of them and he wanted them to know that. 

“Who’s hungry?” Cordelia asked after a few minutes. “We brought a bunch of different foods.”

“Some of which are cinnamon rolls,” Roy said with a smile. Norman made a happy noise, clapping his hands together. Then he paused and looked at Wendy.

“Yes, you can have one.” She said. Cordelia and Roy got up and went to the kitchen, Norman following behind. Wendy smiled to herself. This year had been difficult, but she had her brother back. And things were going to be alright.


	109. Chapter 109

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I decided to send the prompt in now because the giant butterfly keeps beating me up. Lol. Anyway could you please write a story with Corrupted!Henry and Bendy after they left Allison and Tom’s safe-house? Maybe they take him to the Lost One village and then Bendy goes to see Annette and bring her the bad news? I just love the angsty stuff you write! Sorry if it’s a stupid or confusing idea though, you don’t have to write this if you don’t want to! It’s totally fine. 😅**

Feelings will be felt. 

* * *

Bendy was still rather upset after he and Henry left Allison and Tom’s safehouse. Henry was gone. The Henry he’d known was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Henry followed behind him, making concerned noises as the little demon tried very hard not to start crying.

“‘M fine.” Bendy tried to force himself to smile when Henry touched his shoulder. Henry’s singular eye narrowed, and before Bendy could properly reply, he’d pulled the little demon into a hug. 

“Henry, I’m fine!” Bendy whined, trying to struggle free. It wasn’t Henry. It wasn’t right. This thing was just pretending to be Henry. But Henry only hugged him tighter, rubbing his face against Bendy’s. Bendy stopped struggling, letting Henry nuzzle him. Then he began to cry. He buried his face in Henry’s shoulder and began to sob. Henry patted his back, making comforting noises as his other hand stroked Bendy’s head. 

Bendy cried for a long time, taking comfort in Henry’s presence. Henry stayed with him, continuing to comfort the little demon until he felt better. Bendy sniffled a little, pulling away. Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe Henry was still in there somewhere. 

“Hey, you wanna go see Sammy?” He asked, wiping his tears away. “You probably haven’t met his little congregation. I’m sure they’d be happy to meet you.” Plus, he needed to go tell Annette that Henry had succumbed to his corruption. Henry perked up at this, which made Bendy relax. If there was someone he could trust to watch Henry, it would be Sammy. 

Together, the two of them headed down to the Lost One’s village. Just as Bendy had hoped, Sammy was there, checking in on his congregation and handing out bacon soup to those who still wanted to eat. Bendy quickened his pace upon seeing Sammy. 

“Hey! Sammy!” He waved to the former music director. Sammy turned, smiling softly upon seeing Bendy. 

“Hello, my lord.” He said. “What can I do for you?”

“Geez, I told you that you didn’t have to call me that.” Bendy stopped short of him, a grey blush coloring his cheeks. 

“I know.” Sammy patted Bendy’s head. “But I find your reaction too adorable to stop.” Bendy pouted comically, which only made Sammy smile wider. The Lost Ones around him all stifled their laughter, a few chiming in that Bendy made it far too easy to tease him. 

“You’re all the worst,” Bendy grumbled, folding his arms.

“I’m aware.” Sammy laughed. “Now, is there a reason you came down here to visit me?”

“Oh, um, yeah.” Bendy’s shoulders slumped. “I…” He hung his head and stepped aside so that everyone could see Henry. Henry waved happily, excited to see Sammy again. Sammy’s smile quickly faded. 

“Ah. I see.” He nodded solemnly. “His friend…She’s still in the studio, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

Sammy sighed, a weary smile appearing on his features. “Do not worry. I will look after him until you return.”

“Thanks, Sammy.” Bendy returned the smile. “I owe you one.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Satisfied that Henry was going to be alright for the moment, Bendy left the village, finding his way to the upper levels where Boris had his safe house. He found the door and did the secret knock that Boris had taught him. There was some shuffling from inside before the door was opened by Boris. 

“Ben!” Boris’ face lit up and he pulled the little demon into a hug. “I was so worried! I haven’t seen you in days!”

“I know.” Bendy smiled a little. “Sorry for scaring you, Bo. I was a little…busy.”

“Oh. Right.” Boris put him down. “Henry.”

“Yeah.” 

A heavy silence descended upon the two of them. 

“I’m guessing he-”

“Yeah. I thought I should come tell Annette. Cause, y’know, she’s his friend.”

“Right.” Boris glanced behind him. “She’s sleeping right now. Today was kind of rough for her.”

“Something happen?” Bendy asked as Boris let him in.

“We went on a food run and she found the organ in the music department,” Boris explained. “She, uh, she didn’t know about Johnny.”

“Oh.”

They sat in silence until Annette came out from the bedroom. They were eating some bacon soup and playing cards. For a moment, hope flickered across Annette’s features upon seeing Bendy. Then it faded when she saw Bendy’s expression. 

“Hey.” Bendy tried to force himself to smile. 

“No.” Annette backed up, starting to shake her head. “He’s fine. He has to be fine.”

“I’m sorry.”

“He’s fine!” Annette repeated, covering her ears as tears began to well up in her eyes. “He’s fine and he’s going to leave here with me! He has to!”

“I’m sorry,” Bendy repeated. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. He’d been so afraid of actually saying the words.  ** _ ~~Henry’s not human anymore~~_**. But he hadn’t had to say anything. Part of him was relieved he hadn’t had to say it. But most of him felt terrible. Boris got up, walking over to hug Annette. She tried to push him away, screaming and crying. But eventually, like Bendy, she too succumbed to the attempt at comfort. She turned and began crying into Boris’ fur. Bendy just sat there, staring at his lap, until Annette was able to talk once more. 

“Where…Where is he now?” She asked, still sniffling a bit. 

“He’s in the Lost One village. I asked Sammy to watch him for a little.” Bendy said. 

“The…Lost One village?” Annette frowned. 

“Oh, right, you probably haven’t been that deep.” Bendy backpedaled a bit. “He’s safe. I left him with Sammy and some of the other sane people.” Annette nodded, her hunched shoulders dropping a bit. 

“Well…At least he’s safe.” She conceded. 

“He…He might not be human anymore,” Bendy said in an attempt to make the situation better. “But I’m pretty sure he’s still there. He remembered me, he remembered Sammy. I’m pretty sure he’d remember you.” Annette looked at him, a strange look in her eyes. 

“Could I…see him?”

“It’s too dangerous.” Boris put a hand on Annette’s shoulder. “He can’t corrupt Bendy or Sammy. Henry might still be in there, but he’s under Joey’s control. If Joey wanted to, he could  **make**  Henry infect you.” Annette’s shoulders slumped. 

“Right. Of course.” She whispered. She looked so defeated. It broke Bendy’s heart. Without another word, she turned and went back into the bedroom, the door closing behind her. 

“Is she gonna be okay?” Bendy asked, looking to Boris. 

“Maybe. I don’t know.” Boris sighed heavily. “This place does things to people. She’s gotta get outta here soon or she won’t ever be able to leave.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“We’ll figure this out, Ben. We will.”

“Okay.” Bendy didn’t know if he completely believed Boris, but he wanted to. He wanted to believe that things would be alright. They deserved a happy ending. 


	110. Chapter 110

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay so I had bit of a funny idea because of the story you did yesterday, which was amazing by the way! Do you think you could write something with Sammy and Corrupted!Henry and maybe Wally can be there too! (Because he didn’t escape like in the game, in my AU) and they’re just trying to keep him out of trouble? I just thought it would be kind of funny since Bendy wanted Sammy to look after him for awhile. It’ll probably be a bit angsty though. 😅 Sorry if this idea is kind of stupid though.**

I’m so glad you liked it! 

Prepare for some shenanigans! And maybe angst.

* * *

Sammy watched as Bendy vanished into the distance. Once he was sure the little demon was gone, he sighed and let his shoulders slump. Henry sat at his feet, smiling up at him. It pained Sammy to see him like this, stripped of his humanity. Apparently, Henry could sense Sammy’s sadness, as he oozed over and starting hugging Sammy’s legs while making comforting noises. Sammy found himself unable to resist a smile.

“Thank you, Henry.” He said, patting Henry’s head. Even if Henry had been corrupted, it was nice to be able to hug his old friend. 

“So, this is Henry Williams?” One of the Lost Ones asked tentatively. 

“Yes, this is him.” Sammy nodded. A few of the Lost Ones knelt in front of Henry, examining him and offering him food. Henry was admittedly rather excited by all this attention, and Sammy started introducing his congregation to his old friend. Most of them had only heard rumors of Henry Williams. More and more Lost Ones ventured out from their little shacks until there was a small crowd around Sammy and Henry. That was when Wally appeared. 

Wally had felt Henry’s corruption complete. Joey’s control had slipped for a moment and Henry’s location had been revealed to all those with a connection to the Ink. Most of the Lost Ones and Searchers hadn’t noticed Henry’s presence appear, but Wally had been paying close attention. They’d all been worried about Henry, and none of them had been quite sure where he was. So as soon as Joey had slipped enough to reveal Henry, Wally bolted to that location to see what he could do to help. He was pretty surprised when he found Henry in the Lost One village with Sammy, being fawned on by numerous Lost Ones.

“Yeesh. Did I miss something?” Sammy’s head snapped around at the sound of Wally’s voice.

“There you are!” He managed to push past the other Lost Ones to get over to Wally. “Where have you been? You just disappeared! We were all worried!”

“Sorry.” Wally gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head. “I was lookin’ for Henry. Thought I could help. But, uh, looks like you found him first.”

“Bendy was taking care of him.” Sammy glanced back at Henry. “They were with Allison and Tom.”

“Alli and Tom? Seriously?” Wally’s eyes widened. “How’d the kid manage to get them to let Henry in?” Allison and Tom were good people, but they were extremely cautious around anyone who had been infected or was under the control of the hive mind. They had every right to be cautious, given how they were currently thorns in Joey’s side. 

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.” Sammy made a vague hand gesture. 

“Right. Cool.” Wally let his eyes wander to where Henry was still being doted on by the Lost Ones. “So…He’s one of us now.”

“He…He is.” Sammy followed Wally’s gaze back to Henry. 

“I really thought we could get him out.”

“I did too.”

“At least…Joey won’t do anything too bad to him, right?” Wally’s voice had a slightly hopeful note. “He cares about Henry, right?”

“I don’t know,” Sammy admitted. “Joey tends to get…unpleasant when people don’t behave exactly as he wants them to.” Wally could tell this topic of conversation was only serving to depress Sammy. So he decided to change the subject. 

“Anyway!” Wally slung an arm around Sammy’s shoulder. “How’s it going? Jack says you haven’t visited him in a while.”

“I’ve been…busy.” Sammy hunched his shoulders a bit. Wally almost could have sworn he was blushing.

“Busy how?” Wally asked, grinning. 

“He’s been teaching us songs!” One of the Lost Ones piped up. 

“You’ve been singing without me?” Wally let out a faux horrified gasp. “You know how much I like to sing!”

“Well, I couldn’t find you!” 

The Lost Ones’ attention was drawn away from Henry by Sammy and Wally. They all started laughing quietly. It was always fun for them to see Sammy and Wally interact. Wally was one of the few people who could get away with teasing Sammy the way he did. The two were almost like brothers. Wally and Sammy were their light, their hope. Wally kept morale high and Sammy was a comforting presence for those who needed it. 

Unfortunately, since the Lost Ones had taken their eyes off of Henry, this meant no one was making sure he wasn’t getting into trouble. As a Searcher, Henry wasn’t nearly as cautious as he’d been before. He had no more fear of the ink. After all, he was made of the ink. With the Lost Ones distracted, Henry began to wander about. He’d never been in this place before. The buildings were strange, not like the ones he remembered. But what really caught his attention was the river of ink at the end of the docks. His eye lit up. He’d never seen so much ink before. He wondered if he could swim in it. Immediately, he began to set out for the river. 

“Wait, where’s Henry?” Wally suddenly asked. Sammy stopped talking, looking around as well. To their absolute horror, they saw Henry making his way towards the river of ink. They knew that anyone who fell into that much ink seldom managed to find their way out. 

“Henry no!” They both yelled, running over to snatch Henry away from the river. Henry pouted a little as Sammy scooped him up in his arms. 

“Henry! What were you thinking?!” Sammy said, putting Henry down a safe distance away from the ink. Henry folded his arms, sinking down and sulking. 

“I’m all for having a little fun, but that much ink is dangerous,” Wally added. “You’d never be able to find your way outta there.” Henry started making a whining sound, reminding both Wally and Sammy of a petulant child.

“This might be harder than I thought.” Sammy murmured. 

Watching Henry did indeed turn out to be harder than he’d anticipated. Both Wally and Sammy had their work cut out for them trying to keep Henry out of trouble. Henry wanted to go everywhere and touch everything. He tried to go to the mostly flooded office area, which was populated by Butcher Gang clones. He tried to slip into the vents. And he kept trying to go into the ink river. Neither Sammy nor Wally had ever anticipated having children, but they imagined that this was what it would be like to have a small child. 

“Geez.” Wally panted, sinking to the ground after he and Sammy had managed to wrestle Henry away from the river again. “Didn’t think it’d be this hard.” 

“He has no self-preservation instinct.” Sammy gasped. Henry sat in front of them, smiling innocently. 

“You’re lucky you’re our friend,” Wally said, although his voice lacked any malice. “If you weren’t, I woulda dumped you.” Henry continued to smile, knowing full Wally would never do anything like that. 

“I hope Bendy comes back soon.” Sammy curled up on the ground. He needed a nap. A long one. Henry oozed over, curling up with Sammy and making contented noises. 

“Okay, that’s pretty cute,” Wally admitted. 

“Mm.” Sammy closed his eyes, letting himself drift off. Wally snorted, pulling his hat down over his eyes. They’d both deserved a rest. 


	111. Chapter 111

**had a kind of cute and funny idea! Do you think Wally and Sammy, could introduce Henry to Jack Fain? (Jack is a shy boi in my AU, he’s so cute!) I think it would be interesting to see how he’d react to another Searcher, even though Jack is ‘awake’ most of the time. I just thought it would be kind of funny and cute. Also I seriously loved the way you wrote Sammy and Wally’s friendship! Anyway sorry if this idea isn’t very good. 😅**

Thank you so much! I was considering including Jack in the last story, but I ended up not being able to do it. So I’ll do it this time!

* * *

Once Sammy and Wally woke up from their brief nap, they decided it would be a good idea to take Henry someplace where he couldn’t do much damage. After a brief debate, they settled on going to the Music Department. Wally knew Jack was feeling lonely, and Sammy wanted to head back to the Music Department anyway. He liked being with the Lost Ones, but the Music Department was like home to him.

“Alright, so, how do we get Henry over there?” Wally asked, getting up and stretching. 

“That’s…a good question.” Sammy looked down at Henry, who was rubbing his eye in a frankly adorable manner. 

“We could move through the puddles,” Wally suggested. “That’s pretty safe and easy, right? Plus, all Searchers know how to do it. So Henry should too.”

“But how do we know he’ll follow us to where we want to go?”

“Simple, we just ask him to follow,” Wally said, as if this was the simplest thing in the world. He knelt down in front of Henry, grinning. “We’re gonna go on an adventure. That sound fun?” Henry’s eye lit up and he nodded fervently.

“Great! All you gotta do is follow us through the puddles. Can you do that?”

Henry nodded again. Wally turned back to Sammy, looking quite proud. Sammy stared blankly at him for a moment. There was no way this was going to work. There was no way. But Wally seemed to have such faith in the idea…

“Fine.” He finally conceded. “Let’s do this.” 

“Awesome!” Wally held up a hand for a high five, which Sammy reluctantly gave him. They headed over to a puddle and dove in. If there was one thing Sammy enjoyed about being an ink creature, and there were very few things, it was the ability to move through the ink. It was far more convenient than simply walking places, and allowed access to places previously unreachable on foot. 

Sammy popped out of the ink first, brushing off his overalls and moving away from the puddle to give the others room to get out. For a few agonizing moments, no one emerged, and Sammy was afraid they’d lost Henry. Then Wally’s head popped up, followed by Henry’s. Sammy breathed a sigh of relief. 

“See? Toldja it would be fine.” Wally pulled himself out of the puddle. 

“Don’t rub it in,” Sammy grumbled, helping him up. Henry looked around curiously. He sort of remembered being in this place before. But it was so quiet and empty. He whimpered quietly.

“It’s alright.” Sammy patted his head. 

“Sammy likes it here ‘cause it’s quiet,” Wally explained as Sammy set off for the infirmary. “He’s kinda antisocial sometimes.”

“I have a limited tolerance for social interaction. I’m  **not**  antisocial.” Sammy said indignantly. 

“Fair enough.” Wally put an arm around Sammy’s shoulder again. “If I had to go to half the events you had to when you were a kid, I’d be antisocial too.” Henry tilted his head to the sound, frowning as he followed. 

“It’s a long story.” Wally said when he noticed Henry’s confusion. “His family’s rich and stuff. Y’know, they hated that we were friends. ‘Cause I’m poor.” Ah, that explained some of it. Henry nodded sagely.

“Wally, I’d really rather not think about that.” Sammy’s voice went quiet. 

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” Wally smiled sheepishly. “Uh, anyway, Jack lives down here! He used to hang out here when we were human too, although he had to wear a clothespin over his nose back then. Helps that we can’t smell stuff now.”

“That…is true,” Sammy admitted, laughing a little at the memory of Jack hunkered over his desk with a clothespin over his nose. Speaking of the devil, Jack was indeed hunched over his desk, trying very hard to write something. It was interesting to see, especially since he didn’t have any legs. 

“JACK!” Wally yelled, running up and slapping Jack’s back. “Guess who found Sammy?!” Jack screamed, almost falling off his chair.

“Wally, you know you shouldn’t do that.” Sammy sighed, shaking his head. Henry’s eyes widened at seeing another Searcher. This one had a hat! A really cool hat! 

“Sorry,” Wally said. 

“Hello, Wally.” Jack turned around to face him. His eyes lit up when he saw Sammy. “Sammy! It’s good to see you!”

“Hello, Jack.” Sammy stepped forward to hug his friend. “I apologize for making you feel neglected.” 

“No, it’s alright,” Jack assured him. “I understand. You have responsibilities.” 

“But you’re my friend.” Sammy insisted. It was at this point that Henry managed to crawl his way onto the little ledge and reach for Jack’s hat. Immediately, Jack stopped talking to stare at Henry. 

“Please don’t touch my hat.” He said quietly. Henry withdrew his hand, backing up a bit. 

“This is…Henry, right?” Jack asked, looking from Sammy to Wally. 

“Yep.” Wally hunched his shoulders a bit. “We’d kinda hoped we could get him out, but…well…It didn’t really work out.”

“Mm.” Jack made a vaguely affirmative noise. He didn’t see too many other Searchers in the sewers, and even fewer who were like him and had some semblance of identity and understanding. Henry waved at him, smiling as best he could without a mouth. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Jack held a hand out. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Henry tilted his head to the side for a moment before awkwardly shaking Jack’s hand. He’d almost forgotten how to shake someone’s hand.

“He’s certainly friendly,” Jack said. Most of the other Searchers he’d met didn’t particularly enjoy socializing. Nor did they engage with physical contact. 

“Yeah, he’s a nice guy.” Wally nodded. “Everybody in the studio always loved him. They still love him, actually. You should’ve seen the way the Lost Ones were mobbing him! You’d think he was a puppy or something!”

“Well, we don’t see many new faces here,” Sammy said. “And Henry  _is_  rather adorable.” 

“But is he cuter than me?~” Wally batted his nonexistent eyelashes. Sammy gave him a deadpan look. 

“ **I’m**  cuter than you, Wally.” 

Jack snorted, trying to stifle his laughter. Wally let out a horrified gasp, putting a hand roughly where his heart would be on his chest. 

“Sammy! How could you?!” He swooned dramatically. “I thought we were friends!” Sammy started to laugh. 

“I’m kidding.” He said through giggles. “But Norman’s sister Wendy is most definitely cuter than you are.”

“That’s fair.” Wally conceded. “Wendy’s cuter than everybody.” Jack looked down at Henry, watching as the other Searcher giggled and clapped his hands. Normally, he wouldn’t be so comfortable around a new person. But he always felt better when Sammy and Wally were there. As long as he had them, he felt like everything was going to be alright. 


	112. Chapter 112

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally turns out to be surprisingly wise

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay the Sammy, Wally, and Searcher!Henry stories have been so good! I’m really curious to see a story on how they’d react if Henry ‘woke up’. Wally didn’t even get a chance to really talk to Henry yet! So I bet it’ll be cool. Also I bet Henry’s going to be worried about Bendy since he can’t remember what happened after he succumbed to the Corruption. Sorry if this story idea isn’t good, you don’t have to write this if you don’t want to. Also I forgot to say earlier but Happy New-Year. 😄🎉🎉🎉**

Happy New Year to you too! Hope this is a good year for you. 

* * *

After pestering Jack for a little bit, the trio headed up to Sammy’s Sanctuary. Normally, he didn’t let people into his sanctuary, but Henry and Wally were exceptions. Not to mention, he had the place warded to Hell and back against Joey. It was the one place he truly felt safe, and the others could be safe there with him. Almost as soon as they stepped into the sanctuary, Henry ‘woke up’. Wally and Sammy had both seen it happen to Searchers before. Occasionally, a higher level Searcher, one who had a better grasp of their identity, would reclaim enough of their mind to become lucid for a time. Jack was the best example of this. ‘Waking up’ was a rather strange experience for Henry. He’d been aware of what was going on around him, but it had been as though he was watching it all on a screen while he floated in the warm blackness of the ink. But now, suddenly, he was in control again. Wally and Sammy didn’t immediately notice this. Sammy went to his desk, settling down in his chair and sighing contentedly. Wally perched on the toilet like a gargoyle, looking around. 

“Remind me why you got a toilet in here again?” Wally said. 

“It’s for Jack.” Sammy waved a hand dismissively. “He’s more comfortable sitting in there than just oozing on the floor. Besides, it’s never been used as a toilet. It’s perfectly clean.”

“Wally? Sammy?” Henry entered the sanctuary tentatively. 

“Oh! Hey!” Wally’s face lit up. “You’re  _you_! Awesome!”

“What…What happened?” Henry asked, looking down at himself. “I was…I was corrupted, wasn’t I? I lost my free will. Why am I suddenly…?”

“Free?” Sammy finished. “I warded this place against Joey’s influence.”

“But…how?”

Sammy was silent, and for a moment Henry thought the music director was being mysterious. Then Wally started laughing, causing Sammy to turn and swat at him. It was then that Henry saw that Sammy was blushing. 

“He can’t remember!” Wally howled. “He did it right after Joey betrayed him and now he doesn’t know how he did it!”

“Shut up!” Sammy tried to swat at him. “It was a weird day for me, alright?!” Henry couldn’t help but start to laugh. The days leading up to his transformation had been so tense and melancholy. It felt so good to laugh and see Sammy and Wally bickering like this. It was almost normal. Almost. 

“Wait. Where’s Bendy?” Henry asked, suddenly panicked. “He was with me before, where did he go?!”

“Easy.” Wally hopped off the toilet to walk over and kneel in front of Henry. The animator hadn’t really formed legs for himself. “He’s fine. He just went to tell your friend what happened.”

“So he’s…He’s alright?”

“He’s fine,” Wally reassured him, putting his hands on Henry’s shoulders. 

“So, he went to tell Annette?” Henry asked. 

“Yes.” Sammy nodded, turning to face them. “He thought she deserved to know.”

“Ah.” Henry’s expression fell a bit. “That’s going to be hard for both of them.”

“Yes, I expect it will be.” Sammy agreed, his expression equally grave.

“Hey!” Wally sat down, folding his arms. “Don’t get all gloomy on me, now! Yeah, you’re one of us now, Henry, but at least you’re not alone!”

“But I’m stuck here forever,” Henry said. “I’ll be Joey’s puppet for the rest of my life.” 

Wally’s frown deepened. “Yeesh, when did you become such a wet blanket?”

“Wally-” Sammy tried to step in, but Wally cut him off. 

“I get it.” He said. “Things seem bad. I won’t tell you it’s not bad. But you gotta have hope. You gotta have some kind of belief that things are gonna be alright.”

“What reason do I have to be hopeful?” Henry asked, melting into the floor. “I thought I could come here and save everyone, but I can’t even save myself.”

“Look,” Wally scooted over so he was staring into the puddle that was Henry. “Down here? Hope’s all we’ve got. It’s the one thing that Joey can never ever take away from us.” Henry rose up a bit at this, peeking his head out of the puddle. 

“He’s right,” Sammy said. “That’s why I preach to the Lost Ones and the Searchers. Our situation may be dire, and we may not make it out of here, but allowing ourselves to believe that things can get better makes our existence far more bearable.”

“Yeah, the studio’s a hellhole.” Wally shrugged. “So what? So’s the rest of the world. You just gotta keep going. Bad things are always going to happen. What matters is what you do after.”

“That’s…Thank you.” Henry smiled, reforming himself. “I didn’t know you were so wise.”

“Aw. You’re flattering me.” Wally grinned. 

“He’s not,” Sammy whispered. “He’s really not.” 

“Hey! I can hear you!” 

Henry laughed to himself as Sammy and Wally resumed their playful teasing. Wally was right. Bad things did always happen. But he just had to keep going. Yes, he was currently Joey’s puppet. But that didn’t mean it was going to be that way forever. Annette was still in the studio. She could save them. Or…No. He hesitated at that. That was too much responsibility to put on her shoulders. He sighed and composed himself. They’d figure this out somehow. He wasn’t alone. 

_He wasn’t alone._

“Thank you.” He said. Wally and Sammy abruptly stopped what they were doing, looking at him. 

“For what?”

“For making me feel better,” Henry said. “Thank you for reminding me I’m not alone.” He always tried to do things by himself. It was good to be reminded he didn’t have to.

“No problem.” Wally smiled wide. “We’re all kinda a big family here. Joey wants us alone and afraid, so we’re not gonna let him have that.”

“His greatest fear is us actually working together.” Sammy leaned back in his chair. “We’re no army, that’s for sure, but we won’t let him drive us apart.”

“You two are amazing.” Henry sighed. 

“Aw, geez.” Wally rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks tinged darker. “You’re makin’ me blush, Henry!”

“We’re just trying to help the others,” Sammy said, although he was blushing as well. “We’re nothing special.”

“Well,  **I**  think you’re amazing,” Henry said. “Both of you.”

“Thank you.” Sammy smiled. 

“No one ever praises me like this.” Wally laughed nervously. “Makes me feel funny. You guys hungry? I’m hungry.” 

“There’s bacon soup in the desk.” Sammy gestured to the desk drawers. He knew full well that ink creatures didn’t get hungry. Wally was clearly trying to change the subject. But Sammy wasn’t going to press him. Wally started digging through the drawers. 

“You hungry, Henry?” He asked. 

“A little.” 

“Catch!” 

Henry barely had time to react before a can of bacon soup was thrown at his face. He laughed to himself. Some things never changed. Henry cracked the soup open, beginning to sip at it as he watched Sammy and Wally argue. He got the feeling that as long as he had them, he was going to be alright.


	113. Chapter 113

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: I had a cute prompt idea featuring the hat boi (Jack Fain) again! I’d love to see Jack appear at Sammy’s Sanctuary and meet Henry now that he’s not under Joey’s control. Henry probably would have a lot of questions for Jack since he’s also a Searcher, and kind of knows what he’s going through. Oh, and I just thought of this! What if Bendy shows up at the end because he couldn’t find them at the Lost One village and tried looking in the Sanctuary! Aww I think Henry would be happy to see him! 😄**

Sorry this took so long.

* * *

After Sammy, Henry, and Wally left, Jack lingered in his little office for a little while longer. He wanted to get back to what he’d been doing before, but he found he couldn’t concentrate. His thoughts kept drifting back to Henry and how scared he knew the other man must have been. After all, becoming a Searcher didn’t exactly come with an instruction manual. He knew Sammy and Wally would try to answer Henry’s questions as best they could, but neither of them had been Searchers in a long time. In fact, Jack wasn’t sure Wally had  _ever_ been a Searcher. It was hard to erase a personality as big as Wally’s. Although, God knows Joey had tried. 

Jack dithered for a little before finally deciding to head up to Sammy’s sanctuary. Whenever Sammy returned to the Music Department, that was usually where he went. It was Sammy’s safe place. Sure enough, when he emerged out of a puddle in the band room, the door to Sammy’s sanctuary was open, and Jack could hear voices coming from inside. Smiling to himself and adjusting his hat, he headed in. Henry was playing with a bacon soup can while Wally recounted various adventures he and Sammy had had in the studio.

“And then I beat up a whole horde of Butcher Gang members with a plunger!” Wally proclaimed. Sammy rolled his eyes and Henry started to giggle. 

“What?!” Wally said. “I did!”

“You have to admit, it is a _bit_ hard to believe,” Jack said, moving in. “You always look so skinny.”

“Come on!” Wally groaned, leaning against the wall. “I did just as much mechanical work as Tom! I’m just as strong!”

“Oh, hello Jack.” Sammy smiled warmly upon seeing him. “What brings you to the sanctuary? I don’t see you up here too often.”

“Well, I was worried about Henry,” Jack admitted. “I figured he probably has questions about being a Searcher that neither of you can answer.”

“That’s…true,” Sammy said. “I haven’t been a Searcher for quite a while.” Jack opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Henry grabbing his hand with both of his, moving faster than he should have been able to without legs. Henry’s singular eye was shining. 

“You can answer my questions?” He whispered in an awestruck voice. 

“….Yeeeess?” Jack said slowly, instinctively leaning away. 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome?”

“And I thought  _I_ was weird.” Wally snickered as Henry started to pelt Jack with questions. Sammy gave him a withering look, attempting to swat at Wally’s head. Unfortunately, Wally moved out of the way before he could. Wally stuck his tongue out at him. 

“Too slow~”

Sammy responded by throwing a soup can at Wally. This hit him square in the face. 

“My nose!” Wally shrieked, hands flying to his face. “That hurt!”

“You don’t even  _have_  a nose anymore,” Sammy said. 

“I do too!” Wally protested. “It’s on my face!” He then pointed to his nose. Sammy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Okay, yes, you have a nose. But there’s nothing in there that would have been hurt by the soup can. We don’t feel pain.”

“….Oh. Yeah.” Wally laughed sheepishly. “Force of habit, I guess.” This only made Sammy sigh louder. 

They fell into their usual rhythm, talking as Jack tried to explain what being a Searcher was. Wally and Sammy hadn’t really had a chance to catch each other up on what had been going on in their lives since they’d reunited, so they were both glad to be able to exchange information. All in all, everything was pretty calm. Henry was in considerably better spirits now, and the arrival of Bendy only served to make him happier. 

Bendy had returned to the Lost One village after telling Annette the news, only to find Sammy and Henry absent. This had, of course, worried him greatly. The Lost Ones had assured him that nothing had happened and that Henry and Sammy had left together, along with Wally. Satisfied that neither were in danger, Bendy had headed to the only other place Sammy ever went. His sanctuary. And sure enough, he heard voices coming from the sanctuary. He winced a little as he entered. Joey’s influence was pretty strong in him, so it always hurt going in. 

“Ben!” Henry lit up when he saw the little demon walk in. Immediately, Jack was forgotten and the old animator launched himself onto Bendy.

“Henry?” Bendy’s eyes widened. For a moment, he was surprised to hear Henry’s voice again. Then he remembered the special properties of the sanctuary. 

“It’s so good to hear your voice.” Bendy started to sniffle. 

“I’m sorry.” Henry held him tight. “I’m so so sorry.” Jack retreated a bit to stand beside Sammy and Wally.

“Really warms your heart, doesn’t it?” Wally smiled softly. “Always knew Henry would be a good dad.”

“He’s Bendy’s original creator, isn’t he?” Jack asked quietly.

“Yes, he is.” Sammy nodded. “It’s only natural they would have a strong bond.” Especially after what an absolute demon Joey had been to just about everyone. 

“Oh, hey Jack!” Bendy waved to Jack once he and Henry had separated. “Man, I hardly ever see you!”

“Well, I don’t leave the sewers too often,” Jack said.

“You two have met before?” Henry looked between Bendy and Jack.

“A couple of times, yeah.” Jack nodded. 

“I mean, there aren’t a lot of people in the studio, and we’ve been here a long time,” Bendy said, unable to stop himself from laughing a little. Henry gave him a patented disapproving Dad look. Bendy apologized quietly. 

“In any case, it’s nice Bendy so happy.” Jack smiled slightly. “I don’t think I’ve seen him smile this much in a long time.”

“No one can make him smile like his dad.” Wally grinned. 

“It is rather cute.” Sammy agreed. “The two of you make a fine father-son pair.” Henry’s eyes began to sparkle as he turned to Bendy, who was doing his very best impression of an embarrassed teenager. 

“You guys.” He whined. “I’ve got an image to uphold!”

“Oh, Ben!” Henry threw his arms around Bendy again. “I’m so glad I make you happy! I’m so proud to be your father!”

“Come oooon!” Bendy whined louder, wriggling in Henry’s grasp. “You’re embarrassing me!” Sammy, Jack, and Wally began to laugh, which only served to make Bendy even more frustrated. But they could all see how happy he was to be hugged by Henry. 


	114. Chapter 114

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay I had an angsty prompt idea this time! Okay what if Sammy and Wally went back to the Lost One Village with Henry, and Annette managed to find it with Boris (because he’d probably be worried about Henry too and decided he should go with Annette just in case, to keep her safe.) and then since Henry is probably back under the ink’s control he will probably try to attack her, Sammy and Wally try to stop him? I just love the angsty stories! You’re so good at writing them, and the other stories!**

Sorry this took so long.

* * *

After Bendy left, Boris went to go check on Annette. She was laying in his hammock, curled up in a little ball.

“Annette? You alright?” Boris asked. 

“No.”

Boris sighed, sitting down on the cot nearby. Annette didn’t turn toward him, curling in on herself even more.

“I’m sorry.” He said.  

“You did the best you could.” Her voice was flat, betraying no emotion. Boris’ ears drooped. He hated it when people were mad at him. It was part of the reason he avoided Joey. Nothing any of the toons did was ever good enough for Joey. Nothing was good enough for him. 

“We need to get you out of here,” Boris said. “It’s not safe for you to stay.” Annette didn’t say anything for a moment or two. Then she rolled over to face him. She looked so tired.

“Are you sure there’s no way to help Henry?” She asked quietly. Boris hunched his shoulders, beginning to wring his hands.

“No one’s ever been cured after becoming an ink creature.” He replied. “They can eventually get their minds back, but that takes a lotta time and I don’t think Joey’s gonna let him go now that he’s got him.” Annette had a lot of names she wanted to call Joey, but she was certain Boris wouldn’t be comfortable with most of them. So she bit her lip to stop herself from screaming. 

“I hate him.” She said, sitting up. “I hate Joey.” Her hands gripped the fabric of the hammock so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. 

“He’s…Not a good person.” Boris nodded. His head was bowed, eyes staring down at his hands. He was rocking back and forth a little, hands fidgeting. 

“What did we do wrong?” He whispered, his lip starting to quiver.

“What do you mean?” Immediately, Annette was worried. Boris had been a pillar of support for the entire time she’d been there, but she knew he was battling his own demons. Now, it seemed, his emotions were overflowing.

“We had to have done something wrong.” He started rocking faster, hands going down to tap frantically on his thighs. “We should have been enough. He wanted us to live. He didn’t need to do everything else. What did we do wrong? Why did he do all of this?” Big black inky tears began to run down his cheeks.

“Boris…” Annette slipped out of the hammock to sit down beside him, putting an arm around his shoulder. “You can’t hold yourself responsible for what Joey’s done. You and Bendy are doing the best you can. You’re the only reason I’m still here.”

“I should’ve done more to save Henry!” Boris sobbed. “I could’ve saved him!”

“Don’t say that.” Annette pulled him closer, stroking his fur. “If I’m not allowed to beat myself up about it, neither are you, alright?”

“But-”

“No buts.” She cut him off before he could protest. “We’re both doing the best we can. You’ve kept me safe this long. Give yourself some credit for that.” Boris continued to sniffle, but this seemed to have calmed him a bit. 

“Thanks.” He said, smiling slightly. Annette smiled back. She hesitated for a moment. If she wanted…She could ask to see Henry. Boris was in an emotionally vulnerable state. She could take advantage of that. She shook her head quickly. What was she thinking?! What a monstrous thing to do!

“Are you alright?” Boris asked. He looked better now. 

“I’m fine.” She forced a smile and nodded. “I just…I know it’s dangerous, but I want to see Henry.” Boris opened his mouth, likely to tell her the perils, but she stopped him. “I know he’ll probably try to infect me. I know he’s not the same anymore. I know he’s basically Joey’s puppet. But…He’s my friend.” She didn’t want to just abandon him. Henry was the kind of person who always pretended he was fine when he wasn’t, who tried to do everything on his own. She didn’t want him to go through this by himself too. Boris whimpered quietly, his ears drooping again.

“I’m sorry.” She squeezed his hand. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“Nah, it’s alright.” Boris tried to reassure her. “Maybe…Maybe you could see him. Just for a little.”

“You really mean it?” Annette perked up.

“I mean, it’d be good to check on him,” Boris said. He was pretty worried about Henry too if he was being honest. And if Annette was going to see Henry, it would be better for Boris to be there with her, to keep her safe. 

“Then let’s go!” Annette hopped up, her energy renewed.

“Sure.” Boris got up as well, although he was unable to shake the feeling that this was going to be a mistake. 

.

Sammy, Wally, Bendy, and Henry had returned to the Lost One Village by this point. Wally wanted to say a proper hello to the Lost Ones and Sammy had never actually finished checking on them. Not to mention Bendy wanted to “grace his adoring followers with his presence”.

“You’re not letting this ‘god’ thing go to your head.” Wally snickered. “Nope. Not at all.”

“You’re just jealous,” Bendy said, batting his eyelashes. An impressive feat given he didn’t actually have any eyelashes. Henry made some happy noises and hugged Bendy. As soon as they’d left Sammy’s sanctuary, he’d returned to being nothing more than a Searcher. This, of course, bothered Bendy a lot. But he didn’t want to dwell on that. Henry was still there, wasn’t he? He hadn’t lost him yet. 

“Play nice, you two,” Sammy warned them as they exited the ink near the village.

“We  **are**  being nice,” Wally said. “You’ve seen me be nasty.  _That_  was not nasty.”

“Eh, give ‘im a break.” Bendy waved his hand dismissively. “It’s his job to be a stick in the mud dad.”

“I am  **not**  a stick in the mud!” If Sammy could have blushed, he would have been blushing at that moment. Wally and Bendy just laughed, darting ahead of him. Sammy sighed heavily, looking down at Henry. 

“Do you see what I have to deal with?” 

Henry offered no reply, just smiling up at Sammy dumbly. Sammy felt a tug at his heart. It wasn’t Henry. It may have looked like Henry, but it wasn’t Henry. He turned away, starting towards the village. Suddenly, though, a yell echoed through the cavern. Sammy picked up his pace, running into the central area of the village. There, standing by the dock, were Annette and Boris. A group of Lost Ones had gathered by their homes, all looking nervous. Bendy looked absolutely terrified, and even Wally seemed upset.

“I just want to see him,” Annette said, also clearly upset. 

“He might hurt you!” Bendy said. “Bo! You know how dangerous it is! Why did you bring her?!”

“I-I thought it would be safer if I came too,” Boris said, ears flat against his head. “She was so upset. And- And I was worried too.”

“Boris, you gotta get her outta here,” Wally said. “Henry’s gonna be here soon-”

“Just let me see him, please,” Annette begged. That was when Sammy and Henry rounded the corner. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Annette and Henry locked eyes. Relief washed over Annette at seeing Henry. But Henry didn’t seem happy to see her. Immediately, he changed. His happy-go-lucky demeanor was gone, replaced by the manner of a feral Searcher. 

“Henry, no!” Sammy tried to grab him, but Henry darted away before he could be subdued. He was headed straight for Annette, screaming at the top of his lungs. Annette’s eyes widened and she took a step back. Thankfully, Boris got between her and Henry, and Bendy and Wally managed to pin Henry down. 

“Go! Leave!” Wally yelled. The Lost Ones quickly jumped into action. starting to usher Boris and Annette away while keeping an eye on Henry. Annette said nothing. She was too stunned to do anything other than make her legs move. Boris put an arm around her, holding her close. It looked like he was going to have some more comforting to do. Guilt was weighing heavily on him.  **He’d** agreed to take Annette to see Henry.  **He’d** allowed her to be put in danger. He was a terrible person.

Meanwhile, Wally and Bendy were still holding Henry down. Henry kept fighting and screaming until Annette was no longer within his sight. Once she was gone, he immediately calmed down. He didn’t struggle any longer, instead turning to look at Bendy and Wally curiously, as if he wondered if they were playing a game. Bendy was on the verge of tears once more. He got off of Henry, hugging his knees and starting to sob. Sammy knelt beside him, enfolding Bendy in a hug. 

“It’s alright.” He whispered, patting Bendy’s back. 

“No, it’s not!” Bendy wailed, burying his face in Sammy’s chest. Wally got off Henry as well, just staring at the Searcher that had once been Henry. Normally, he’d try to lighten the mood. But he wasn’t feeling all that cheerful at the moment. He just sat there, watching Henry and listening to Bendy cry. Where were they going to go from here?


	115. Chapter 115

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hi! I just thought of an interesting prompt idea because of my new story. Do you think you could write a story where Bendy runs into Allison and Tom because they happened to be in the area and he tells them what Joey did? And then meanwhile Henry is trying to process what just happened and has a breakdown, while Joey is just being his regular evil self and stuff? (Even I want to punch him. Lol) Sorry for the angsty prompts! You always write them so well! 😅**

Sorry this took so long. 

* * *

Bendy continued kicking and screaming all the way to the Heavenly Toys Department, where the Searchers promptly dumped him and left. And so the little demon was alone. Not for the first time. Bendy curled up on the ground, continuing to scream and sob at the top of his lungs. He’d been bottling up his emotions for quite a while now and needed to let them out. He wasn’t allowed to be sad or upset around Joey, so he had to wait until he was alone to express his emotions. Joey liked the idea of a family, but he didn’t know how to deal with an upset child. So he didn’t. He just pushed Bendy away and made Bendy feel as though he was being a nuisance. Bendy knew from the other members of the studio that he was not, in fact, a nuisance, but Joey certainly knew how to make him feel worthless. So he cried when he was alone. It was this crying that led Allison and Tom to the little demon.

They’d been in the area, doing their usual food run when they’d heard the crying. It wasn’t uncommon to hear people crying given where they were, but this was different. This was a child’s crying. And there was only one child in the studio. Allison and Tom exchanged a glance. 

“We need to go see what’s wrong,” Allison said. 

“He might not be alone,” Tom argued. “It might be a trap.” Allison gave him a deadpan look. 

“Don’t give me that look. You know Drew wouldn’t hesitate to use the kid if it suited his needs.”

“Let’s just check it out.” Allison sighed. “If it’s a trap, we get out.” Tom still didn’t like this idea, but he knew he wasn’t going to talk Allison out of this. So he followed her out to where Bendy was. Bendy was melting, forming a puddle around himself of ink. His form was still stable, just getting sort of…goopy. 

“Bendy? Sweetheart?” Allison called out. Bendy looked up abruptly, quickly trying to gather himself together and pretend he hadn’t been crying. 

“Oh, um, hi Miss Allison.” He said, forcing a smile. 

“What’s wrong?” Allison asked, walking over to kneel beside him. Tom followed tentatively. The little demon did seem to be alone. And he was genuinely upset. Bendy’s lip quivered at Allison’s question. 

“He got Henry.” He said, lowering his head. “Joey got Henry.”

“Oh, Bendy.” Allison gathered the demon in her arms, allowing him to cry into her chest. Tom’s shoulders slumped. He’d heard Henry was back in the studio, but he’d hoped the other man would be able to get out again. Tom had never had any belief that Henry could save them and fix all their problems, but he’d at least hoped the boy could save Bendy.

“He got Henry and he wouldn’t let me try and help Henry!” Bendy sobbed into Allison’s chest. “It’s not fair!”

“Joey doesn’t play fair.” Allison sighed, patting Bendy’s back. 

“It’s not fair.” Bendy sniffled.

“I know,” Allison said. “I know.”

“What am I gonna do?” Bendy asked, looking up at her. Allison pursed her lips. She wanted to tell Bendy that everything was going to be alright. She wanted to make the little demon feel like he had some semblance of control. But she didn’t have a good answer. She didn’t know how to fix this.

“You’ll get through this.” Tom stepped in. His voice was gruff, and not terribly comforting, but Bendy took comfort in it all the same.

“Really?” He asked quietly.

“I’m not going to tell you it’ll be easy,” Tom said. “And I don’t know how to fix this. But you’ll get through it. You’re not alone. Never let Drew make you feel like you’re alone.” Tom had met a lot of men like Joey Drew in his life, and he hated every single one of them. They preyed on the weak and the vulnerable, making them feel as though there was no one in the world who would love them, making them feel alone and scared. Tom didn’t trust people. But he’d be damned if he was going to let this child feel that way. 

“You’re not alone.” Allison agreed. “No matter what happens, we’ll be here for you. Me, Tom, Sammy, Wally. We’re all here for you.” Bendy smiled a little. 

“Thanks.” He said quietly.

“You’re welcome.” Allison kissed his head.

.

Meanwhile, Henry was still with Joey. Joey had been cooing over him for the past half an hour, stroking his ‘hair’ and telling him how much he loved him. Henry had only really been half listening. Even under the corruption’s influence, he was trying to process what had happened. Bendy had been there. Bendy had been trying to help him. And Joey had sent the little demon away. Joey had been deliberately keeping him from his son. Henry was distraught within the confines of the ink. Bendy was his  _ **son**_. 

“ _ **Ben…dy…**_ ” He rasped, tears beginning to spring up in his eye. “ _ **Ben…dy…! Where is…Bendy?**_ ” Joey shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

“I know, I know.” Joey continued to stroke Henry’s hair. “You’re worried about him. He  _ **is**_  your child. But he disobeyed me. He knew the rules and he broke them anyway. If I don’t discipline him, he’ll never learn his lesson.”

“ _ **Bendy!**_ ” Henry screamed, trying to pull away. “ ** _Where is my…son?!_** ” Big inky tears trailed down his cheek.

“Sssh.” Joey wrapped his arms around him, dragging him back. Joey’s touch made the haze in Henry’s mind grow stronger, but the animator tried to fight it. He had to find Bendy. He had to find him and help him! Joey’s temper flared a bit and he held Henry tighter, making a conscious effort to exert his pull on his old friend. Henry was finding it considerably harder to resist now. 

“ _ **Ben….dy…**_ ” He sobbed, his voice growing softer. His struggles grew weaker.

“That’s right.” Joey cooed. “Everything is fine. Just calm down. You’ll get to see Bendy again.” But it would be under Joey’s supervision, of course. Eventually, Henry stopped struggling, lying limply in Joey’s arms as he cried.

“I don’t want to punish you or Bendy,” Joey said, patting Henry’s head. “You have to know that. I love both of you. I’m doing this  **because**  I love you. The world is cruel and wicked and I’m keeping you both safe here. I’m the only one you can trust, Henry. Everyone else will leave you. But me…I’ll never leave.” Henry whimpered quietly. 

“I know, this is all hard.” Joey rested his head on Henry’s, sighing heavily. “You just have to trust me, Henry. I have your best interests at heart. If I let you go, you’ll just leave like you did before. I can’t protect you if you’re not with me. I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

 ** _You’re lying!_**  Henry screamed in his mind.  _ **You don’t love me! If you loved me, you wouldn’t do this to me!**_

“Henry. That’s not very nice.” Joey’s voice remained calm, but there was a distinct edge to it. “Do I need to punish you too?” Henry let out another small whimper, drawing into himself. He wanted to think that Joey wouldn’t hurt him but, well, the corruption was proof enough that Joey was willing to do whatever it took to keep Henry beside him.

“You’ll be a good boy for me, won’t you, Henry?”


	116. Chapter 116

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay so the last story was so good! It gave me so much feels! Henry wanting Bendy back after Joey took him away was written so well! Do you think you could write something with Henry trying to find Bendy? Maybe Joey left the room for a moment and Henry took that opportunity to escape? Though I bet Joey will see that he’s missing and get angry. I just think it would be so cool to see Henry fighting to resist the puddles while also trying to find son again. Sorry if this idea isn’t good though.**

This is an excellent idea. 

* * *

Joey held Henry for a long time, cooing at and petting him. Joey was satisfied he’d quashed any thoughts of escape. He hadn’t, however. Joey’s presence made it harder for Henry to think, but one thought remained in his mind even with Joey’s oppressive aura. 

**Find Bendy**

He had to find Bendy. The memory of the little demon’s crying face was still fresh in his mind, making his heart ache. He wanted, no,  **needed** to find Bendy and soothe him. He needed to make sure Bendy was safe and happy. Joey could put Henry under his control, could take away his free will and make Henry his puppet. But if there was one thing he couldn’t do, it was take away Henry’s love for the character he’d created. Bendy was Henry’s son, and Joey could never steal that away from them. 

Which why was, when Joey left the room to go check on something, Henry took his chance and escaped. As soon as Joey was out of the room, Henry slipped into one of the puddles. He didn’t know exactly where he was going, but he knew he had to find Bendy. His mind was still muddled, still tainted by Joey’s influence. The other voices in the ink were surprised to see Henry wandering about, unsupervised. They stayed away from him, afraid of what Joey would do if he found Henry was gone.

Sure enough, when Joey returned and found the room empty, he was furious. Everyone in the studio, regardless of whether they were connected to the ink or not, felt the wave of anger wash over them. Bendy whimpered and clung tighter to Allison, who wrapped her arms more protectively around the little demon. 

“Well, I guess that means Henry’s looking for you,” Tom said. 

Henry, too, could feel Joey’s rage. He tried to move faster through the ink. If he could get far enough away from Joey, maybe he’d be able to get some of his mind back. He popped out of a puddle on level P, looking around. There were a few other Searchers around, as well as a few Butcher Gang members. The Butcher Gang members frowned upon seeing Henry, making curious groaning noises. One good thing about being a Searcher now was that the other Searchers and Butcher Gang members were no longer hostile toward him.

“ ** _Ben…dy,_** ” Henry said, forcing the words past his lips. “ ** _Have you…seen…Bendy?_** ” The Butcher Gang members shook their heads. The Searchers looked between one another before shaking their heads. They hadn’t seen him on this level, but they knew he was in the Heavenly Toys area, which they relayed to Henry. 

“ _ **Than** k y_ou _._ ” Henry couldn’t help but smile. It felt so good to know Bendy was nearby. His voice was even returning to normal now as he regained more control of himself. He felt quite a bit better now that he was away from Joey. But who knew how long that would last. Thanking them again, he dove back into the puddles to head to the Heavenly Toys area. Unfortunately, Joey was monitoring the puddles. As soon as Henry reentered the puddles, he was set upon by other Searchers and members of the hive mind who tried to subdue him.

 _ **Henry Henry Henry.**_ Joey’s voice echoed around him in the darkness.  ** _I thought we were making progress here. I told you I’d let you see Bendy, didn’t I? There was no need to go running off like this._**

“Shut up! I have to find him!” Henry struggled against the others. “I have to keep him safe!” 

 ** _Henry._**  Joey appeared before him, cradling Henry’s head in his hands.  _ **You have to trust me. You’ll get yourself hurt running around wildly like this.**_

“Hurt how?” Henry snapped. “I’m a Searcher! Nothing here will attack me anymore! You just want to keep me with you so I’ll do what you say!” He knew it was a bad idea to be lashing out like this, but Joey’s presence made it hard for him to think straight, and he was just so desperate to find Bendy. One of Joey’s hands dropped and the other squeezed Henry’s cheeks as Joey pulled Henry’s face towards his. 

 ** _Henry. You should be careful with your words._**  Joey’s smile was tight as his eyes flashed dangerously.  ** _You’re my friend, and I love you, but I can’t be nice all the time._**

“You’re never nice unless you know you can get something out of it! You’re a monster!” Henry screamed. All of his emotions were boiling over now. Although, almost as soon as he said this, he knew he’d said the wrong thing. Joey’s presence became almost unbearable. Henry suddenly found it hard to breathe. Joey’s eyes glowed bright red. 

 _ **Hen͜ry.**_  Joey’s smile was wide as he leaned in close.  _ **S̸ur͟e͟l͠y͡ you҉ do͞n't͞ ̵be͢l̵i̧eve̕ t̢h͝a̧t,̧ ̶do͝ you͠?**_

“I…I do.” Henry’s voice faltered a bit, but he tried to stand firm. “I thought we were friends, but you don’t want a friend. You want a slave.” Joey’s head jerked to the side, his smile so wide it looked unnatural. 

 ** _H̢e̴͡n͏ŗy͝._**  He leaned in closer, looking positively demonic. ** _Y̷͞o̕u͠ ͢͢sh̷o҉u͡l̕͟d͟n͟͡'̶̡̧t͝ ̶͟s͟͝a͟y̡ ̢̛t͜h̷͜i̧̧͝ņ̢g̛͞s҉ ̶͞li̴k͟͡ę͢ ̴ţh̴at̶̨. I̢͜ ̸͘͟d̵҉̶o͟͜͝n̛'͢t̨̨ ̶wa͏̴n̛t̷ ͜t̷o̴̴ ̨h͢u͞r͠t y̷o͢u҉, ҉b͟ư̧t̡ ̕if̧͘͞ ͞I҉̷ ͡ha̧ve t͜o̕.̛͜.͢.̨͘_   **He was so close now that his forehead was touching Henry’s. The whites of his eyes had turned black, and ink was beginning to drip from his eyes and mouth.

**__  
͈̫͕̼̩̠ͧ͌  
͚̐ͩ͗̋̑ͬͦİ͔̥ͤ ̨̯̣ͯ͌͊W͎̘̪ͤ̀ͭͬ̽͂Ị̞͔̘͍̮̦ͪ̓̋Ḽ̫ͪ̏̌L̘͐̍̎̿͗̋ͩ  
  
**

Henry whimpered, trying to flinch away. All his anger and bravado was gone now. It was hard to continue to be angry when Joey had just turned into a literal monster before his eyes. Joey stood back, his eyes returning to normal. 

 ** _My apologies, Henry._** He smiled sheepishly. ** _I seem to have lost my temper a little. Well, I suppose we both did. Now, we both said a lot of things that I’m sure we both regret. And for that, I’m sorry._**

“I’m sorry.” Henry squeaked. 

 ** _I forgive you. Of course I forgive you!_** Joey wrapped his arms around Henry. **Oh, I could never stay mad at you.**

Henry said nothing, allowing Joey to fawn over him again. It seemed as though he wasn’t going to find Bendy any time soon. After a moment or two, he found himself dragged out of the puddles and into Joey’s office and Joey’s arms. 

“There you are,” Joey said, setting Henry down on the floor. “Did you have fun? Did you get everything out of your system?” Joey was asserting his control so aggressively that Henry couldn’t even speak. He just allowed himself to be dragged back as though he were a doll. His mind was so muddled and fuzzy. 

It was quite a while before Henry was able to think again. Eventually, Joey fell asleep, Henry clutched to his chest. Joey didn’t sleep very often but he’d exerted a lot of his influence and control, which had evidently taken a lot out of him. Henry used this chance to slip away again. With Joey asleep, his control lapsed. This time when Henry slipped away, no one stopped him. Joey was asleep, his control had lapsed, and no one was going to piss off Henry. Not after the things he’d said to Joey. Henry was going to find his son, and no one was going to stop him. 

Henry popped out of a puddle on the Heavenly Toys level, searching desperately for Bendy. His heart swelled when he saw Bendy asleep on one of the couch, snuggled in between Tom and Allison. 

“Bendy.” He whispered, quickly making his way over. Almost immediately, Bendy’s head snapped up, his face lighting up when he saw Henry. 

“Henry!” He scrambled off the couch and threw himself onto Henry, starting to sob. “You’re okay!”

“I’m okay.” Henry nodded, patting Bendy’s back. “I’m okay.” He knew he was going to get Hell from Joey for slipping away  _again_. But this…This was worth it. 


	117. Chapter 117

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey.. I had a prompt idea. I’m sorry if it isn’t good though. Could you please write a story where Joey is trying to figure out how to make the ink stronger so that Henry will stop trying to fight? Maybe he discusses what recently happened with Henry to Murray, though he’d probably secretly be freaked out by Joey as usual. I think it would be neat if Henry happened to be in the room at the time, with Joey keeping an eye on him. Sorry if this idea is stupid. You don’t have to write this.**

I hope this brightens your day. Even if it does get a little dark. ^^”

* * *

When Joey Drew had hired him, Murray Hill hadn’t expected much from the job, even after Joey had let slip that he wanted to cheat death. He’d gotten hired for that sort of thing before. Every so often, some rich guy would bring him in with their dreams of creating the secret to everlasting life. The problem was, a lot of these men didn’t know what exactly it took to cheat death. Murray would give it his best effort, but the clients would usually get fed up and fire him. This hadn’t been what had happened with Joey Drew. Unlike his other clients, Joey knew what he was doing. Although, Murray hadn’t understood just what it was Joey was doing until it was too late.

Now, he was trapped in the studio with this mad man, just trying to survive and meet Joey’s demands. Presently, Joey was demanding Murray find a way to make the hold of the ink stronger. Apparently, Henry had broken Joey’s control and slipped off to see Bendy while Joey had been sleeping.

“It was a nightmare.” Joey sighed as he sat on the ground, arms wrapped around Henry. “I was so scared he’d gone and gotten himself hurt.” Murray just nodded. He found Henry to be rather unsettling as a Searcher. There was something about the eyes. Not to mention he knew perfectly well that Henry was pretty much incapable of getting hurt. None of the normally hostile creatures of the studio would harm Joey’s pet, and the ones who were still sane and normally attacked Searchers knew Henry and wouldn’t want to hurt him either. 

“He’s such a stubborn one.” Joey turned Henry toward him, pinching his cheeks. “I  _told_  him he’d be able to see Bendy later. But he just went off on his own. It’s as though he doesn’t trust me.” He looked genuinely distressed, but Murray knew better. 

“He does seem to be a strong-willed individual,” Murray said.  _He’s right not to trust you_ , he thought.

“I thought we were making progress.” Joey rested his head on Henry’s shoulder. “I thought we were finally getting somewhere. I thought we could be happy together. But I suppose he still needs more work.”

“I suppose.” Murray echoed. Joey lifted his eyes so that his gaze met Murray’s. He was smiling, the perfect picture of innocence and purity with his youthful features, but his eyes sent chills down Murray’s spine. There was no warmth in those eyes. No love.

“You can make the ink’s hold stronger, can’t you?” He asked sweetly. His eyes began to glow, almost like a warning.

“Well, I can try.” Murray tried to stay calm. “But I can’t promise-”

“You c̶an̢ make it s͢tr̴o͟nger̛, can’t you?” Joey repeated, a bit more forcefully.  His smile was wider now, the glow of his eyes brighter. Murray knew he had to choose his words carefully. 

“Y-Yes, of course.” Murray nodded, instinctively backing up. 

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” The glow of Joey’s eyes dimmed a bit, but it remained. Murray turned back to his equipment on the table, visibly shaking. Behind him, Joey began to whistle. It was the signature whistle that Bendy did in the cartoons, but no one in the studio associated it with Bendy.

“You know, I’ve been quite impressed with your work so far, Mr. Hill,” Joey said. “I’d almost given up hope that I’d be able to make my dreams come true. Who would have thought that the answer would be science and magic working together?” He laughed. Murray laughed weakly as well. 

“It was rather…surprising.” He admitted. “I was never one to put any stock in magic. But, evidently, I was wrong.”

“So many people only believe in what they can see and touch.” Joey clicked his tongue in disapproval. “It’s so sad. The world is so much larger than they know.”

“Were there people here in the studio who thought like that?” Normally, Murray wouldn’t have even dreamed of asking such a probing question. But he was scared and when he was scared he tended to ask a lot of questions. It was a coping mechanism. 

“Oh, yes.” Joey sighed, shaking his head. “There were quite a few. Bertie was always like that. I tried to bring him into the fold, tried to show him the wonders I could achieve. But he wouldn’t listen. So I had to…punish him.” He smiled down at Henry, the expression rather sinister. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen him around here,” Murray said. “Did you turn him into a Searcher?”

“If only.” Joey let out a noise that sounded quite like a snort. “It would have been quite fulfilling to have him under my power. But his  _ **ego**_  proved too strong.” He wrinkled his nose. “I had to confine him to his ride. He’s essentially in a time out for the foreseeable future.” 

“I see.” Part of Murray wanted to laugh at that. He’d heard many stories about Bertram’s famous hatred of people who tried to control him. And Joey was definitely someone who liked to control the people around him.

“Oh!” Joey suddenly perked up. “Perhaps if you can strengthen the ink’s hold I can take Bertram out! I wouldn’t want to deprive him of the wonders of being a part of our family.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Murray said.

“I’m quite certain you can manage it, Mr. Hill.” Joey replied. “After all, you know what will happen if you fail.” Murray couldn’t help but shiver. Joey was right. He  **did**  know what would happen if he failed. And he didn’t particularly want to become one of Joey’s little puppets. 

“ _ **Ben…dy…**_ ” Henry rasped. 

“Look who’s awake.” Joey cooed, squishing Henry’s face with his hands. “Are you looking for your Little Devil Darling?”

“ _ **Ben…dy…!**_ ” Henry repeated, sounding almost desperate as he writhed in Joey’s arms. 

“Now, you know you’re grounded for that little stunt you pulled.” Joey shook his finger at Henry. “You’ll get to see Bendy again, but not until you’ve learned your lesson. You can’t just go slipping away from me. I’m trying to keep you safe.”

For a moment or two, Henry was silent. Joey beamed, sure he’d finally gotten through to Henry. Then Henry said a word Joey had hoped would never leave his lips again. 

“ _ **Lin…da.**_ ”

Immediately, the whole room went silent. Murray could hear his own heart pounding in his ears. He knew next to nothing about Linda, other than the fact that Henry had loved her and Joey absolutely detested her. 

“What…What did you say?” Joey asked, his voice dangerously quiet. The atmosphere in the air became heavier, the ink veins appearing on the ceiling and floor. 

“ _ **Linda…**_ ” Henry said, much more coherent now. His voice almost sounded normal. Joey stared at him. Then he slammed Henry into the floor. Murray turned around quickly to behold Joey straddling Henry on the floor, the whites of his eyes black, ink dripping from his eyes and mouth. 

“ _ **D̴͟͢҉͝O̸҉̕N̶̛̕͝'̴̵͢͞T͢͜͡ ͠͝S̴̷A̧̛͘͢Y̷̢͡ ̴̷̸͘͟H͘E̵͜҉R̷̶͟͞ ̶͟͢N҉̕A͟͡M̧̕E̡̛!̷̕͢͞ ̶̷̵D̷̸O̶̢͘͝N̷̢̕'̷T͏̛ ̶҉̵̷Y͢͠Ǫ͏͏Ư̸̧ ͠͡D̢̛͞A̸͘͜R͏̴Ę͏ ̸͢S̸̕͟A̷͜͠Y̸͡͠ ͘H̡͡E̡͘͜R̛͜͟ ̢͡Ņ̴͝͞A҉͏͡҉̡M̡̧̡͟͡E̵̴̷͡͝!̷̵̡̛͠**_ “ He shrieked, his voice distorting. Despite not being the target of Joey’s rage, Murray instinctively flinched back, drawing into himself. Henry whimpered under Joey, sinking back into a puddle. Joey was breathing heavily, his whole body shaking with barely contained rage. Henry began to cry. Joey sat up, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. When he opened his eyes again, they were normal. 

“Now, Henry.” He smiled, perfectly calm and in control once again. “You know I don’t like you talking about  _her_. We’re much happier without her, aren’t we? After all, I’m still here. She’s not.” Henry said nothing, continuing to whimper in his puddle. 

“My dear, sweet Henry.” Joey cooed, scooping Henry up in his arms. “I’m so sorry I frightened you. But you should know better than to mention her.” He began to stroke Henry’s hair, kissing his friend’s face. Murray stood there, frozen. 

_**He was going to die here.** _


	118. Chapter 118

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this chapter does feature some mild torture

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: The last story was SO amazing, I just had to think of another one! But please take your time, there’s no rush! Could you write a story where after Joey got angry, he decides to go pay Bertram a ‘visit’ and just taunts him, while Henry is still missing Bendy and Linda and is trying (although tiredly) to think of how to escape, and Murray is trying to talk Henry out of it because of how scary Joey was the last time? Sorry if this idea isn’t very good. You don’t have to write this, it’s fine!**

Sorry this took so long

* * *

Joey was in an extraordinarily bad mood. Not only was Henry _still_ trying to break free, but he had also mentioned  ** _her_**  name! He needed to find some way to make himself feel better. He needed to go intimidate someone. So he left Henry with Murray and went to the lower levels. He knew exactly who he needed to talk to. He headed down to Bendy Hell and waltzed into ride storage. 

“Bertie~” He said in a sing-song voice. “Have you missed me?”

“ ** _Drew._** ” The voice that came from the ride dripped with disdain and hatred. The ride sprung to life, the cars slamming down all around Joey, trying to squash the studio head. Joey easily dodged each attempt, humming to himself.

“Now now, Bertie. That’s not very nice.” Joey snickered. The doors in the middle of the ride opened, revealing the disembodied head of Bertram Piedmont. Joey tried to stifle his laughter. Bertram was so overdramatic. Bertrum’s body had long since turned to ink. He didn’t even  _have_  a head anymore.

“You deserve to die!” Bertram roared, continuing to slam the cars into the floor. “You deserve to suffer for all you’ve done to us!”

“You wouldn’t want to hurt your dear Lacie, would you?” Joey asked. A Searcher rose from the floor, right under one of Bertram’s cars. Immediately, Bertram assault halted. Unlike Henry, most of the Searchers didn’t have any defining characteristics. But Bertram could still tell it was Lacie. He could always tell. 

“What do you want?” He asked, gently lowering his cars to the ground. Lacie moved soundlessly away from the cars to stand behind Joey.

“Oh, nothing.” Joey smiled innocently. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. It’s been so long since we talked, after all.”

“So you came here to taunt me.” Bertram’s lip curled in disgust. 

“That makes it sound so cruel.” Joey put on a hurt expression, wiping away a fake tear before devolving into harsh giggles. Bertram gritted his teeth, staring down at Joey. 

“Lacie’s much happier like this, you know.” Joey patted her head. “She’s a part of one big family. But she does miss you terribly.” He looked back up at Bertram, looking adorable and distraught. “Wouldn’t you like to be together with her again? Wouldn’t you like to be a part of a family?”

“Whatever you’ve created, I’m quite sure it’s not a family,” Bertram replied coolly. “You’re simply a child playing with your toys. Nothing more.” 

“Oh really?” Joey raised an eyebrow. “Just a child, hm? Could a child do this?” He turned to Lacie, putting a hand on her head. Almost instantly, she began to scream, her form changing to resemble an inkier version of the one she’d had as a human. 

“Stop it! Leave her alone!” Bertram yelled. Joey just smiled at him, his grip on Lacie’s head tightening. It was a terrifying expression, gleeful and malicious. 

“Stop!” Bertram begged, on the verge of tears. “Stop hurting her! Please! I’ll do anything you want!”

“Apologize,” Joey said, his smile widening. “Say you were wrong and that you’re jealous of me.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Say it.” Joey tightened his grip on Lacie’s head, making her scream louder. 

“I’ll say it! I’ll say it!” Bertram stammered. “I-I was wrong. I apologize. I was simply…jealous of you.” It was absolute torture to say such things. But he couldn’t let Joey keep torturing Lacie. She’d done nothing wrong. Joey let go, and Lacie returned to her formless Searcher shape.

“There. Now doesn’t that feel better?” He cooed. Bertram didn’t reply, closing the doors on the central tower. He didn’t want to look at Joey. He didn’t want to look at Lacie. He wanted to be alone. Satisfied, Joey departed. He felt so much better now. Inside his ride, Bertram started to cry.

“Mr. Piedmont?” He started at the sound of Bendy’s voice. 

“What is it, boy?” He tried to sound indignant and annoyed, as he always did when the little demon arrived. He always looked forward to Bendy’s visits, much as he liked to deny it. Bendy was a very sweet child. Bertram had always had a soft spot for children. One of his greatest joys had been seeing children enjoying the wonders he’d created. 

“I, um, I was just wondering if you’d let me ride in your cars again,” Bendy said. “It’s been…kinda a rough few days.” 

“Well, if you must.” Bertram opened his doors once more, letting down a car and allowing Bendy to get in. 

“Thank you, Mr. Piedmont!” Bendy smiled at him. 

“You’re welcome.” Bertram smiled softly, watching as Bendy spun round and round. The boy really did deserve better. He hoped someday someone would be able to get the little demon out. He deserved to see the world.

.

Meanwhile, Henry was still in Murray’s care. With Joey gone, he’d managed to regain his mind once again. Which meant he was answering a lot of questions from Murray. 

“Who was Linda?” The scientist asked curiously. 

“She was my wife,” Henry answered, staring down at the floor. “She…died in a car crash a few years before I came back here the first time.” Instinctively, he reached down to twist the ring on his finger, only to remember he’d given it Annette for safe-keeping. He hadn’t wanted Joey to take that away from him too.

“Oh…I’m…I’m sorry.” Murray drew back a bit. Henry didn’t say anything, continuing to stare at the floor. 

“I would have thought I’d miss her less by now.” He murmured. “It’s been years. But…it still hurts.” He smiled softly. “She would have loved Bendy. She always loved hearing me talk about him and Boris.”

“Loss can be difficult,” Murray said. 

“She’s why I can’t let Bendy stay here.” Henry looked up, his eye glowing with a burning light. “I couldn’t save Linda, but I’m going to save him. He’s my son and I’m not going to let Joey hurt him. We’re getting out together.”

“That’s really not a good idea.” Murray began to fidget a bit at the memory of Joey’s fury. “Eventually, Joey’s going to lose his patience and he might do something terrible to you and Bendy.”

“Then I’ll have to make sure I don’t get caught when I finally do get out,” Henry replied as though it was the simplest thing in the world. Murray stared at him, screaming internally. He could kind of understand how Henry and Joey had been friends. They were both such stubborn people. 

“I don’t think you understand just how dire this situation is, Mr. Williams.” He tried to continue smiling. 

“I completely understand.” Henry looked the slightest bit peeved. “That’s why I’ll be careful the next time I try.” For a moment, Murray desperately hoped Henry was joking. But he could quickly tell Henry was dead serious. His internal screaming got louder. Oh yes, he could definitely see how Henry and Joey had been friends. 

“Well…Best of luck to you, I suppose.” Murray squeaked. He clearly wasn’t going to sway Henry. All he could do was brace for the disaster that would come. 


	119. Chapter 119

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for torture and emotional abuse in this chapter

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay the thing Joey did to Lacie was terrifying! But it gave me a pretty crazy idea, so I’m sorry if it isn’t good! Okay so what if Joey somehow found out about Murray talking to Henry and how he was trying to plan to escape, so Joey in anger decided that Murray wasn’t worth his time anymore and starts to force Henry to kill/corrupt him, but Henry tries too hard to fight back so Joey tortures him like he did to Lacie? I’m really sorry if this idea is too dark! I just thought it’d be cool. 😅**

Sorry this took so long.

Also…This got darker than I thought it would. 

* * *

Joey was beginning to grow tired of Murray. The other man had done good work for him in the beginning, but he was starting to be a liability. Joey had thought Murray would be able to handle the darker aspects of this job. Murray was a scientist, after all. Wasn’t a little suffering necessary in the pursuit of science? Oh well. In any case, Murray had rather more empathy than Joey had initially anticipated. He was starting to think that it might be time to bring Murray into his little family. 

As he returned to where he’d left Henry, he heard voices. One was Murray, and the other was…Henry. Joey stopped, listening to the conversation the two of them were having. 

“Eventually, Joey’s going to lose his patience and he might do something terrible to you and Bendy.” Murray was saying. 

“Then I’ll have to make sure I don’t get caught when I finally do get out,” Henry replied.

“I don’t think you understand just how dire this situation is, Mr. Williams.” 

“I completely understand. That’s why I’ll be careful the next time I try.”

“Well…Best of luck to you, I suppose.”

Joey’s temper flared. Still! Still with the escaping! Why couldn’t Henry be happy with him?! Wasn’t his love enough? Henry was alone now. Joey had seen into his mind. He knew Annette was all Henry had. Bendy was here too! Henry had everything he could possibly want. He was part of a family. He was a father. Why…Why couldn’t Henry be happy with him?

But that was one thing. Murray was another. It seemed like Murray was going behind his back, encouraging Henry to try and escape. Or at least allowing him to consider it. Now, that wouldn’t do. Joey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It looked like he needed to finally put his foot down. 

“What are you two talking about?” Joey asked innocently, walking in. Both Murray and Henry froze. 

“M-Mr. Drew!” Murray stammered. “How…How long have you been there?” Henry just stared at Joey, his gaze defiant as his single eye burned with fury. 

“It sounds as though you’ve both been very naughty.” Joey clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “I’ll have to teach you both a lesson.”

“We’re n ** _ot…children…_** ” Henry was having trouble speaking and thinking again, but he was determined to resist.

“Oh, Henry.” Joey laughed, striding over to hold Henry’s face in his hands. “It’s cute that you think you can fight me. Now, I have a very important job for you.” The life was quickly fading from Henry’s eye as Joey pulled away. Murray scooted back, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. 

“Mr. Hill.” Joey turned back to him. “I was impressed with your work at first, but you’re proving to be more trouble than you’re worth.” He smiled sweetly. “I think it’s time you join our family.”

“Mr. Drew, please-”

“Henry.” Joey interrupted him, smile widening in a sinister manner. “Let’s make him one of us.” Henry surged forward, causing Murray to scream and slam his back against the lab table. Then Henry stopped, his hand inches from Murray’s face. 

“Henry?” Joey frowned. “What are you waiting for?”

“ ** _No…More…_** ” Henry gasped. “ ** _I…Won’t…_** ”

“Henry, this is not the time.” A hint of testiness entered Joey’s voice. 

“ _ **No…More…!**_ ” Henry repeated, turning on Joey. Murray, who up until this point had been frozen in fear, saw his chance and took it, bolting from the room. 

“I will deal with you later,” Joey growled to him as he left. He then turned his attention back to Henry.

“Henry, dearest,” he said through gritted teeth. “You know I love you very much. But you are beginning to test my patience.”

“ ** _Good._** ” Henry almost seemed to smirk.

“What is it that I’ve done wrong, Henry?” Joey knelt before him, looking rather distraught. “What do you want that I can’t give you?”

“ ** _Freedom,_** ” Henry replied. “ ** _You…want to…control everything._** ” 

“I want to keep you safe, Henry. You’re much safer like this than you ever were as a human. Nothing can hurt you now.” Nothing but acetone, that was. And maybe water. 

“ ** _Bull._** ” Henry practically spat in his face. “ ** _You never cared…about me. I was…a possession…to you._** ” 

“Henry!” Joey took a step back, his whole body starting to shake. “I love you! You know that! I would do anything for you!”

“ ** _THEN WHY WON’T YOU LET ME BE WITH MY SON?!_** ” Henry roared. He stood up, his form solidifying into something far more human. 

“ ** _WHY WON’T YOU LET ME BE WITH MY FRIENDS?! WHY WON’T YOU LET ME GO?!_** ” Henry demanded, advancing menacingly towards Joey until his friend had his back against the wall. Literally.

“They don’t love you like I do, Henry. This is for your own good.” Joey said. “No one will ever love you the way I do.” He did genuinely look upset. But Henry knew better. He was just so tired of all this. He was tired of fighting Joey, he was tired of running, he was tired of this whole business. So he was going to tell Joey exactly how he was feeling.

“Henry, please.” Joey cradled Henry’s face in his hands. He looked on the verge of tears. “Please, you have to understand. This is all for you.”

“ ** _I’m going to find a way t_** o escape. I’m going to keep trying to get away from you,” Henry said, his voice returning to something resembling normal. “Because I hate you.” For a moment, Joey just stared at him blankly. 

“You don’t…mean that…do you?” He asked quietly, head starting to twitch. 

“I do.” 

Joey watched him, his expression unreadable. Then he had Henry on the ground, his eyes turning black as ink began to drip from all of his orifices. The room grew darker, the air thicker. His hands were around Henry’s neck. 

“You can’t hate me.” He said, eyes wide and wild. “W͜e͝’re ̴f͞r͡i̸e̷nd̵s̛.̧” His voice was starting to distort. Henry knew he’d gone too far. He’d grown arrogant. Joey hadn’t hurt him yet, so Henry had assumed he wouldn’t. 

“We’re friends, right?” Joey smiled wide. “I would do anything for you, Henry. You know that. You̶ ̕k̢now ̴th̡a̷t̕.” 

Despite not actually needing to breathe, Henry found himself struggling to breathe. Joey’s grip was tight. Henry’s lungs burned with a need for oxygen that he hadn’t felt in quite a while now. 

“You’ve been very bad, Henry.” Joey’s smile was manic now. “You’ve been very bad and now I need to punish you.” His hands moved up to hold Henry’s head. All of a sudden, every part of Henry’s body was on fire. He’d never felt pain like this in his life. Then, every memory of everything terrible that had ever happened to him began flashing through his mind. He saw Linda die over and over again. 

“I’m sorry, Henry.” Joey began to calm a little, leaning down to press a kiss to Henry’s forehead as his friend screamed. “I hope you’ll learn your lesson after this. I don’t want to hurt you. I really don’t. But you left me no choice.” Henry kept screaming. He would continue until Joey allowed him a reprieve.

When Joey finally let him go, Henry was limp in his arms. All the fight had left him, at least for the moment. Joey cradled him to his chest, cooing and rocking him. 

“It’s alright, Henry.” He assured him. “Everything will be alright.” As long as he had Henry, everything would be fine. Maybe now, Henry would learn his lesson. Joey didn’t want to do this again.


	120. Chapter 120

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Hey I had a cute and funny idea for Searcher!Henry and Bendy in my AU. It’s not connected to the last one though, so Bendy hadn’t been taken away from Henry. Can you write Henry trying to still be a dad even though he’s corrupted, and he’s trying to do father-son stuff with him? I think it would be pretty funny since Henry isn’t really conscious. I bet Bendy just goes along with it because he thinks “well at least I’m spending time with Henry.” 😆 Sorry is this Idea isn’t very good.**

I hope this cheers you up.

* * *

Henry may have currently been a Searcher, but he was determined that this would in no way hinder his ability to be a dad. He and Bendy were going to have some father-son bonding time and it was going to be fun! So he went out to find Bendy, determined to spend time with him. He found Bendy play with some of the other Searchers in the Lost One village. He perked up when he saw the little demon, oozing over excitedly. 

“Henry?” Bendy looked surprised when he saw him. Henry made an excited gurgling sound, hugging Bendy. 

“Yeah, I’m happy to see you too.” Bendy smiled shyly. “But what are you doing here?” 

A happy groan. 

“You want to spend time together?” Bendy tilted his head to the side. “Why?” Henry’s face fell and he made a sad burble. 

“No no! I’m happy!” Bendy said quickly. “I just…I’m not sure what we could do when you’re like this.” Henry huffed, putting his hands roughly where his hips might have been. Bendy couldn’t help but laugh. It was pretty funny to see Henry doing this as though half his body wasn’t in a puddle. 

“Okay okay. What do you want to do?”

Henry’s face screwed up in a comical frown. What did fathers and sons do together? Despite the fact that he wasn’t a toon, there was still an element of tooniness to his thought patterns as a Searcher. Suddenly, Henry’s eye lit up. While Bendy watched, he made his way over to where Sammy was standing, talking to some Lost Ones. He tugged on Sammy’s pant leg, looking up at him expectantly. 

“Hm?” Sammy looked down. “Oh, hello, Henry. What is it?” Henry went through a complicated series of gestures that Bendy absolutely did not understand. But Sammy did, apparently.

“Ah, alright. I’ll see what I can do.” He nodded before walking away. 

“What’d he say?” Bendy whispered to a Lost One nearby. 

“He wanted to know if he could have a ball so he could play catch with you.”

“He wants to play…catch with me?” Well, that did make sense. He’d always heard that catch was something that fathers and sons did together. Fathers and daughters could probably play catch as well, if the daughter was so inclined. He couldn’t help but be excited by this prospect. Even if Henry was a Searcher, they were still spending time together. 

Henry turned back to Bendy, giving him a big smile and a thumbs up. Bendy grinned and gave him a thumbs up back. It was probably a good thing that Boris wasn’t here. Boris was a wolf, but he had a lot of doglike characteristics, especially when it came to fetching things thrown around him.

Eventually, Sammy returned with a ball. He had Wally in tow, which presumably meant he’d dragged Wally in to try and find a ball. 

“My apologies.” He said. “This was the best I could find.”

“It’s made of wax so it might not be the best structurally,” Wally added. “But, hey, go nuts while you can.” Henry made a happy noise, taking the ball and going back to Bendy. He held said ball up proudly.

“Cool!” Bendy said. “So, uh, you throw it, right? And I catch it?” Henry nodded, gesturing for Bendy to get into a position to catch the ball. Bendy scampered a decent distance away, getting ready. Henry threw the ball, with far more strength than he logically should have had, sending it flying across the cavern. Bendy sprinted after it, managing to catch it. 

“I got it!” He yelled from the other end of the village. Henry made some happy noises, clapping his hands together. 

They played catch for quite a long time, attracting a bit of an audience. It was endearing to see Bendy and Henry having fun together. They didn’t have a lot in terms of entertainment down here, and the struggle between Henry and Joey over Bendy and Henry’s own sanity was a bit like a soap opera. Plus, they found Henry being fatherly to Bendy to be absolutely adorable. 

Their game of catch ended when Bendy got a bit too excitable with his throwing, which ended with the ball falling into the sea of ink. 

“Well, um, I guess that’s that.” Bendy blushed, shuffling his feet. “So, uh, you wanna do something else?” Henry nodded, trying to think of other father-son things they could do. There was shaving but, well, neither of them had the ability to grow facial hair. Oh! He had an idea! He took Bendy’s hand, tugging him to one of the puddles. 

“Where’re we going?” 

Insistent moan. 

“Level 14? You sure that’s a good idea?” 

Henry nodded, tugging Bendy to a puddle. Bendy hesitated but followed Henry into the puddle regardless. They came out on Level 14, and Henry wasted no time in finding one of the projectors and sitting Bendy down in front of it. Then he got behind Bendy, making it so Bendy was basically sitting in his lap. 

“I haven’t watched one of my cartoons in ages,” Bendy said, smiling wistfully. Henry made some happy noises, then started talking about how much fun he had when working on the cartoons. To anyone else, it just sounded like a series of groans and gurgles, but Bendy could understand him. He snuggled himself in Henry’s arms, just listening to him talk. 

“I love you, Dad.” He mumbled against Henry’s chest. Henry paused his talking about animation, smiling down at Bendy and kissing his head. He made a noise that was probably his version of, ‘I love you too.’ Satisfied with this, Bendy closed his eyes and drifted off. 

Norman found them a few minutes later, both huddled together, little cartoon z’s drifting up from their heads. He just stared at them for a moment, then elected to walk away. They were no threat to him. Better to just leave them be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this AU, you should check out the creator's blog on Tumblr! It's @askthesaudadecharactersbatimau. Her personal blog is @bornoffireandwisdom and she posts art there and her writing.


	121. Chapter 121

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay I had an interesting prompt idea after the story you did with Murray! What if after he ran away, he decided to go to the Lost Ones village (even though they probably don’t like him much) because it’s safe, and tells Sammy and Wally about how messed up Joey’s been lately. And then back with Joey and Henry, Joey is trying to test out how obedient Henry is while he’s recovering from his punishment? Sorry if this idea isn’t good, you don’t have to write it if you don’t want to. 😅**

A lot of feelings are going to be felt

* * *

Murray had started running almost as soon as Henry had started fighting back. He didn’t know where he was going, just that he needed to get away. He’d stepped over some kind of line and he knew there would be no re-ingratiating himself to Joey. When Joey decided you were no longer useful to him, there was no changing his mind. No matter how persuasive one could be, and Murray was not persuasive even on his best of days, Joey didn’t change his mind. So Murray did the only thing he could do. He ran. He had to find somewhere to hide, someplace that was safe. But he didn’t know where was safe. He knew next to nothing about the studio outside of the little room where he’d been doing his work. He’d heard Joey complaining about certain areas being out of his reach, but he couldn’t remember where those were. He just kept running until his legs gave out. Panting, he looked around. He was near what appeared to be a dock. A river of ink laid before him, accompanied by a barge.

“A boat?” He murmured to himself, walking over and running his hands over the boat. It was roughly constructed but seemed to be in working order. Joey had mentioned a village of Lost Ones at one point…Hadn’t he? 

“Might as well see where it goes.” He sighed to himself, getting in and starting the boat. He made his way down the river, constantly on edge. He remembered Joey bragging about summoning a giant hand from the river of ink to torment two survivors. But no giant hand appeared and he reached the town unscathed. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of the village knew who he was and were none too pleased to see him.

Almost as soon as he got off the boat, the Lost Ones began to whisper. They’d all come out at the sight of a boat arriving. They seldom got visitors, especially not ones by boat. Tom and Allison were the only ones who ever came by boat. Some of them had never seen him before, but everyone knew Murray Hill’s name. And so, upon seeing him, they began to whisper. Some were afraid. Others were angry. Murray stood tentatively on the dock, staring at the throng of Lost Ones. 

“Erm, hello.” He smiled nervously, waving. “I hope I’m not intruding.” He received no answer. When he tried to take a step toward them, they all scrambled back. He stepped back again. In retrospect, he should have known this would happen. He was the reason a lot of them were like this. He’d developed this infection.

“ ** _You._** ” His blood froze at the voice. The sea of Lost Ones parted, revealing Sammy Lawrence and Wally Franks. Sammy looked positively terrifying, his whole body shaking with rage. Wally stood behind him, his normally cheerful expression gone. He too looked furious. 

“You have a lot of nerve coming here,” Sammy growled, making his way toward the scientist. Murray felt his stomach drop. 

“N-Now, Mr. Lawrence.” He put his hands up. “You h-have to understand-”

“I don’t have to understand anything.” Sammy stopped right in front of Murray, his yellow eyes glowing with an unearthly fire. “You did this to us, to all of us, and you have the nerve to come to our sanctuary.” He grabbed Murray by his collar, hoisting him into the air with one hand. 

“I didn’t know you were this strong.” Murray squeaked. Sammy had never been a physically strong man. He was a musician, unsuited to manual labor. 

“The ink has given me many benefits,” Sammy replied coolly. “Although I would much prefer to be human.”

“What are you doin’ down here anyway?” Wally asked, standing just behind Sammy. “You’re Joey’s little pet rat, aren’t ya? Wouldn’t have thought he’d let you outta his sight.”

“I’ve…fallen out of Joey’s favor.” Murray swallowed nervously. “Could you put me down, please?”

“No.” Sammy’s hands were shaking. He wanted so badly to throw the scientist into the river. Murray has been there, watching, when the ink had finally taken him. He’d taken notes while Joey had forced Sammy to hold Wally down and corrupt his friend!

“Hey, you okay?” Wally put a hand on Sammy’s shoulder. He didn’t often see Sammy this upset. Generally, when it happened it was a cause for concern. He didn’t want Sammy to do anything he’d later regret. 

“He did this to us,” Sammy said, his eyes never leaving Murray. “He created the infection. He watched while I was corrupted. He took notes when Joey made me…!” He inhaled sharply, hunching his shoulders. He abruptly dropped Murray, burying his face in his hands as he tried to fight back tears.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Wally patted Sammy’s back. “I’m fine.” He gently tugged Sammy’s hands down, forcing him to look at the former janitor. “Look at me, I’m fine.” 

“I did this to you,” Sammy whispered. “I’m sorry, Wally. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Wally smiled gently, holding Sammy’s hands in his. “I know you didn’t want to.” Sammy nodded slowly, offering a shaky smile back. 

“Thank you.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Wally grinned. “Anyway, what are we gonna do with this guy?” He looked back at Murray, his smile souring a bit. 

“Ah, right.” Sammy’s smile vanished as well. He drew himself up to his full height, clearing his throat. 

“So, you’ve fallen out of favor with Joey.” He said coolly. “I suppose it’s unsurprising he’d eventually grow tired of you.”

“Apparently, I proved to be more trouble than I was worth.” Murray kept his gaze lowered. The shame was really starting to set in now. Up until this point, the results of his actions had been removed. He hadn’t been forced to face the consequences of what he’d done. But now he was face to face with the people he’d hurt and it felt rather awful. 

“Oooh, I know that one.” Wally snickered. “Guess you finally grew a backbone and decided you didn’t want to play his game, huh?”

“I think you’re giving him far too much credit.” Sammy said.”He doesn’t seem the sort to develop any sort of backbone.” 

“Man, that’s kinda cold, Sammy.” Wally draped an arm around Sammy’s shoulder. “Dontcha think you’re bein’ a little unfair?”

“No…He’s right.” Murray hung his head. “I didn’t stand up to Joey. He heard me talking with Henry about escaping and…He didn’t react well.” 

Wally winced. “Yikes. Guess it wasn’t really your fault then. You probably shoulda known not to talk to Henry, though. Joey’s crazy possessive.” 

“I’m aware.” Murray nodded. “But I didn’t think he’d go as far as he did…”

“What do you mean?” Sammy asked. Something about Murray’s tone worried him. 

“Well…” Murray took a deep breath and explained what he’d witnessed. As he spoke, the gathered Lost Ones grew increasingly agitated. Both Wally and Sammy rather shaken as well. 

“Did you know he could do that?” Wally whispered to Sammy when Murray was done.

“I…I’m not sure.” Sammy had some vague memory of something like that being done to him, but he didn’t know how many of his memories were his. 

“So that’s, like, bad, right?” Wally started to chew on his lip. “That’s really bad.”

“Yes. Yes, it is.”

“What are we gonna do?” Wally looked at Sammy. 

“I…I don’t know.” Sammy admitted. This was a worrying development. And he had no idea what they were going to do about it.

Meanwhile, Joey had decided to test just how obedient Henry was now. He had decided Henry had been punished enough, given that as soon as he’d let go Henry had melted into a little puddle.

“Henry, don’t be dramatic.” Joey knelt beside the puddle. “You aren’t physically injured.” Henry made a weak groaning sound, poking his head out of the puddle. 

“There’s my darling, Henry!” Joey smiled, kissing Henry’s head. “I do hope you’ll be good now. I wouldn’t want to do that again. It hurts me more than it does you, really.” Henry just nodded. 

“Good good.” Joey stood up. “Now, I have a very important request for you.” Henry pulled himself out of the puddle a bit more, looking curiously up at Joey.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Hill escaped while we were having our little spat.” Joey sighed, shaking his head. “He’s afraid to join our little family. I haven’t the foggiest idea where he could have gone, so I suppose we’ll have to put him on hold for a bit. But, there are other things we can do.” A slow smile spread across his face. “How do you feel about going to visit your dear friend, Annette? I’m sure she’d be delighted to see you.”

Henry whimpered instinctively, cringing back. Joey clicked his tongue, annoyance registering on his features.

“Henry.” His voice was a warning. They both knew what would happen if he disobeyed. Henry hung his head. He was going to Annette, whether he liked it or not.

“That’s a good boy.” Joey purred. He always got what he wanted. Always.


	122. Chapter 122

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay the last prompt was SO amazing! I loved the parts with Sammy, Wally, and Murray! Do you think you could try writing Murray attempting to gain their trust? Maybe he feels guilty so he tries to help out a bit around the village to make up for the stuff in the past? While Henry tries to get into the safe-house to corrupt Annette, but Bendy and Boris happened to be there at the time and they try to talk some sense into him? Sorry if this idea isn’t very good. You don’t have to write it! 😅**

Sorry this took so long.

* * *

None of the Lost Ones were happy to have Murray in their village, but neither Sammy nor Wally could in good faith allow Murray to just go back to Joey. They knew what would happen if they turned him away. He would become like them, another voice in the cacophony of the ink. So they, begrudgingly, allowed him to stay. No one was outright cruel to him, but there was an icy sort of politeness in the way they spoke to him. Murray’s guilt over the entire affair, already weighing heavily on him, increased tenfold. So he decided he would do his very best to make himself as useful as possible. He offered multiple times to go out on food runs with Wally or Sammy.

“Are you kidding?” Wally snorted when Murray asked to come with him and Sammy. “You’d get yourself killed!”

“Harsh as that was, he’s right.” Sammy agreed. “Joey’s Searchers would attack you on sight and I’m fairly certain you lack the combat capabilities to fight them off. It’s safer for all of us if you stay here.”

“But I want to help,” Murray said weakly.

“Why dontcha hand out today’s rations then?” Wally suggested. “Everyone’s probably pretty hungry.”

“You know where we keep the soup, right?” Sammy asked, slinging a bag over his shoulder. Murray nodded dejectedly, watching as the two men disappeared into a puddle. Well, it looked like he was on food duty. He headed to the shack where they stored the soup, taking it out and dishing it into little bowls. There weren’t a lot of bowls, but the Lost Ones liked eating out of them. It made them feel more human. The Searchers tended to just eat the bacon soup cans and all.

The Lost Ones and Searchers began to appear in the communal area, all of them sensing it was about time to eat. It was borderline impossible to tell time in the studio, but they always ate at about the same point every day, so their bodies told the time for them. They were surprised to see Murray with the food, but they took it anyway. It wasn’t like he could do anything to them here. They each murmured thanks to him as he gave them their food. 

“You’re welcome.” He allowed himself a small smile, his heart warmed as he watched them eat. They’d lost their forms, their humanity, and yet they kept going. They’d found a family down here, taking comfort in each other’s presence. They found joy in one another. 

“If there’s anything you need help with, please tell me,” Murray said once they were all done as he collected the bowls. 

“You really want to help?” Jack asked, gazing incredulously up at Murray. He was the de-facto leader of the group when Sammy and Wally were gone.

“I do.” Murray said. “I really do.”

“Well…Alright.” Jack nodded slowly. “We need some help fixing the holes in the roofs of the shacks. I hope you’re good with a hammer.”

“I can learn.”

Jack let out a short barking laugh, a grin spreading across his face. “Well, alright. Let’s see if we can put you to work.” 

“Should I go get the tools?” A Lost One asked. Jack nodded and they departed to track down the toolbox. Some of the Searchers who were regaining their identities liked to play pranks on the others, usually by hiding objects. 

“It might be dangerous for you to get up on the roof.” A Lost One pointed out. “We don’t have bones or internal organs, so we won’t be hurt if we fall. You will.”

“I’ll be careful,” Murray said. He was a little nervous to get up on the roof, but he really did want to help. And this was what they needed help with right now. 

“If you’re sure…” The Lost One seemed to frown, beginning to wring their hands. 

When Wally and Sammy returned, Murray was helping some of the Lost Ones patch up the holes in the shack roofs. The Lost Ones were gathered around the shack, prepared to catch the frail human if he fell. The other Lost Ones on the roof with him were watching him worriedly, panicking whenever he nearly slipped. Wally looked up at this scene and grinned. 

“Will you look at that?” He laughed. “Looks like he’s starting to get along with everyone.” Sammy let out a small sigh of relief. He’d been a little worried about what would happen when they left Murray alone. But everything was alright. His flock even seemed to be worried about the scientist. 

“Yes, I suppose he is.” He smiled. Maybe things would be alright in regards to Murray. Perhaps they could even find a way to reverse what had been done to them with Murray’s help. Sammy felt a warmth in his chest at the idea. Things were going to be alright. 

But not everything was alright everywhere in the studio. Now that Joey was sure Henry would do as he asked, he was determined to finally get rid of Annette once and for all. She was a thorn in his side and he wanted her gone. Henry was sent on his way to the safehouse where he knew Boris and Bendy were protecting Annette.

“ ** _Now, don’t cry, Henry._** ” Joey whispered as Henry approached the safehouse door. “ ** _You have nothing to be sad about. She’s going to be a part of our family!_** ” Henry just whimpered quietly, raising his hand and knocking on the door. There was the sound of movement from inside before Boris opened the door. 

“Hello?” He looked around for a moment or two, before finally looking down and seeing Henry. His face fell. 

“Oh.” 

“Bo? Who is it?” Bendy’s voice came from further in.

“Take Annette to the bedroom and shut the door,” Boris said, his voice calm and even, but betraying an underlying sense of panic. Bendy didn’t answer. Henry could hear movement further in, followed by the sound of a door shutting. A moment or two later, Bendy appeared behind Boris. 

“Henry?” Bendy’s eyes widened. Henry perked up at seeing Bendy, immediately moving to hug him. But Joey’s voice stopped him in his tracks. 

“ ** _Push them aside and find the girl,_** ” Joey said. “ ** _You can dote on dear Bendy later. You have a job to do._** ” Henry whimpered, drawing back. Bendy, however, had no such qualms. He threw himself onto Henry, starting to sob. 

“I missed you!” He whimpered. “I missed you so much!” He started to cry inky tears onto Henry’s shoulder. 

“ ** _Ben…dy…_** ” Henry’s arms lifted to wrap around Bendy.

“ ** _Yes. This is very cute._** ” Joey said testily. “ ** _But the girl. We need to get to the girl._** ” Henry instinctively held Bendy tighter, trying to block out Joey’s voice. 

“ _ **H͠e͡n͝r̨y̵.**_ ” Joey’s voice held a warning now. 

“You don’t have to listen to him, Henry.” Boris’ voice was soft. “We’ll find a way to fix this. We will.” Bendy had moved on to apologizing now, sobbing into Henry’s shoulder. 

In Henry’s mind, Joey let out a huff. 

“ ** _I can tell we’re not going to get anywhere with this._** ” He sighed in irritation. “ ** _Come back to me. We’ll try again later._** ” Henry’s body moved of its own accord, drawing away from Bendy. Bendy fell to the floor, Boris kneeling beside him to support his friend. 

“ ** _So…rry…_** ” Henry managed to get out before he was pulled away by Joey’s will. Bendy’s lower lip quivered.

“We’ll fix this,” Boris reassured Bendy as the little demon burst into tears once more. He hated seeing Bendy like this. He hated how miserable everyone was. There had to be a way to fix this. But how?


	123. Chapter 123

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay I need some more Joey and Henry. Lol these stories are just too good! What if when Henry goes back to Joey after running into Bendy and Boris, he’s sad about not being able to spend time with the toons, although he isn’t quite ‘awake’ and Joey is trying to get him to stop being sad about it, and tries to remind him what his new purpose is now that he’s a Searcher. Oh and meanwhile Murray is studying the Lost Ones, and the Searchers in the village, to find a cure (with permission.)?**

I’m very proud of how absolutely awful I made Joey.

* * *

Henry was not alright when he returned to Joey’s waiting arms. Joey could feel Henry threatening to break through his control with his sadness and confliction over what Joey had wanted him to do.

“Oh, Henry.” Joey sighed, drawing Henry into his arms. “My dear, sweet, Henry.” He stroked Henry’s hair, pressing Henry’s head to his chest. Henry let out a mournful moan, unsure whether to bury his face in Joey’s chest or pull away. 

“I know this is difficult,” Joey said, his voice surprisingly soft and gentle. “But being part of a family isn’t easy. Having relationships isn’t easy. This is hard, yes, but we will get through it. I promise you, you’ll be able to spend time with Boris and Bendy in the future.”

_‘You keep saying that. But I never get to do it.’_  He could almost hear Henry’s voice.

“I know, I know.” Joey laughed softly. “At this point that sounds like an empty promise. But you will get to spend time with them. I brought you here to be with them. They’re your children.” He stared down at Henry, his expression tender. “They were always your children. They mean the world to you, I know that. There are just a few things that need to be sorted out and then you’ll be able to spend as much time as you want with your sons.”

Henry made a whimpering sound, pressing his face into Joey’s chest. All his emotions and thoughts were jumbled in his mind. All he knew was that this Joey was like the one he remembered. His kind and bright best friend who’d stuck by him through thick and thin.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been awful to you lately.” Joey ran his fingers through Henry’s hair. “I’ve been awful to everyone, really. I just…” He paused, pursing his lips. “I want to have a family. You know what my family was like growing up. I wanted to have a big family, one where everyone is welcome. Where everyone loves and accepts one another for who they are!” 

His eyes began to shine, bright with excitement and wonder. Henry relaxed, allowing himself to smile. This was the Joey he remembered.

“And when we started up the studio together, everyone who worked here was sort of like a family. The family I never had.” Joey continued. “I…I know it was selfish. But I didn’t want to lose them. I didn’t want to lose you. I know I’ve gone a bit far.” He smiled sheepishly. “But I promise, it’ll all be alright in the end.”

Henry closed his eyes, nestling into Joey’s arms. He’d forgotten what he’d been worried about in the first place. Joey was still the same Joey he’d always been. Everything would be fine.

Joey watched Henry, feeling as his friend slipped out of consciousness. Then he smiled, the expression lacking the warmth it had previously held when Henry had been awake.

“That’s right, Henry. Everything will be fine. Just leave it all to me~”

.

Things were going better for those in the Lost One village. Sammy had brought up the possibility of Murray finding a cure for their condition. After all, he’d created this whole thing. Murray, eager to make up for his past transgressions, had agreed. He didn’t have access to his former records, he’d have to go back for them at some point, but he set about examining the Searchers and Lost Ones. Wally had scrounged up some papers for him to take notes on, and so he did.

Sammy and Wally had allowed him to take up residence in one of the shacks, so he conducted most of his examinations there. It was a little unsettling to watch him work. There was a calm precision to his movements, a confidence in his actions. He was like a different person when he was working, sure of himself and what he was doing.

“He’s kind of hot like this.” One of the former inkers whispered to another Lost One. Their companion gave them as disgusted a look as they could manage. 

“He  _did_ this to us.”

“Yeah, but he’s trying to make things better. Plus, he’s the most human person we’ve seen in 20 years besides Joey and the angels.”

“Sammy and Wally look human.”

“Wally’s more of a little brother to everyone and Sammy refuses everyone’s advances.” 

The second Lost One sighed, rolling their eyes in frustration.

“Although, I do enjoy watching Sammy.” The first Lost One sighed as well, but their sigh was dreamy. Sammy and Wally were on the roof, patching up  _another_ hole that had been made in the shack. Sammy had rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt a few buttons in order to work. It was no secret that everyone had had a crush on Sammy at one point or another. He was very attractive and exceptionally kind and caring. 

“I think I’m making progress!” Murray announced, striding out from the shack. “Although, I think to make any significant breakthroughs, I need my old notes.”

“I see.” Sammy put the hammer down, his lips set in a thin line. 

“It’s gonna be dangerous, going back there,” Wally said, glancing at his friend.

“But if we’re to cure this, he needs his notes.” Sammy folded his arms. They had to consider the situation and figure out how to get Murray’s notes without getting caught by Joey. This was going to be rather difficult. 

“We should talk about this,” Wally suggested. “Make a plan and stuff.”

“Of course.” Sammy nodded. Together, he and Wally descended to reenter the shack with Murray. They were going to fix this.


	124. Chapter 124

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: I had a kind of silly idea! I remember in one prompt you wrote had some Searchers playing pranks on people in the village and I thought that was pretty cute! Maybe a few that are in the process of regaining their identity start playing pranks on Murray while he’s trying to help out with stuff? Meanwhile Henry is alone again and comes across Jack Fain? Maybe they just hang out together and Jack tries to help Henry feel a little better about what’s been going on? Sorry if this idea is stupid. 😅**

Part of this is going to be cute, and then there’s going to Henry’s part. Henry’s parts are always emotional. ^^”

* * *

One thing Murray discovered during his time in the Lost Ones’ village was that they liked to play pranks. It was something they’d learned from both Bendy and Wally. Bendy was mischievous by nature and Wally was the studio clown, so they both enjoyed playing harmless pranks. They were all very strict about never going too far. The worst they could do was inconvenience someone. Their pranks generally involved hiding objects and giggling as others tried to find said objects. It kept their spirits up and helped them regain their identity to a certain extent. 

Murray discovered this a few days after he came to the village. He’d been drafted to help fix some parts on one of the boats that Allison and Tom used, and when he’d reached for his wrench, it wasn’t there. He frowned, digging around in the provided toolbox a bit. It had just been here. Where could it have gone? His frown deepened. Had he dropped it? If it had gone into the ink river, he certainly wouldn’t be getting it back. 

“Has anyone seen the wrench?” He asked, standing up and wiping his hands on his pants.

“Weren’t you just using it?” Sammy asked from up on the roof. “Wally, stay still. I can’t hammer if you keep moving the plate around.”

“I’m bad at staying still! You know that!” Wally said. 

Sammy sighed. “Alright. I’ll finish this up myself. Why don’t you help Murray look for the wrench?”

“You got it!” Wally gave him a silly salute, jumping off the roof. Murray instinctively winced as Wally hit the ground and became a puddle before quickly reforming himself. The cartoon physics that governed the way most of the ink creatures moved still unsettled Murray a bit. Wally thrived on it, though.

“So, you can’t find the wrench, huh?” 

“Erm, yes.” Murray nodded. “I reached for it and it wasn’t there.”

“Hmmm.” Wally screwed up his face in thought, adjusting his cap with one hand. “D’ya think you coulda dropped it?”

“I mean, it’s possible.” Murray nodded slightly, still looking around. “I could have sworn I put it in the toolbox, though.” It was then that he noticed a group of Searchers hiding behind one of the shacks, giggling to themselves. He couldn’t help but let out a short laugh. 

“What?” Wally frowned, following his gaze. “Ooooh. Oh, yeah. They do that sometimes. Well, guess you gotta find it now!” He slapped Murray’s back. “Have fun!”

“For crying out loud…” Murray rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

That was most of what the Searchers did to him. They hid things that he was using and giggled while they watched him look for them. Their other pranks involved dumping ink on Wally, Sammy, Allison, or Tom. They couldn’t do that to Murray, for obvious reasons. So they mostly just hid things. It was slightly inconvenient, but Murray didn’t mind. It made the Searchers happy. A few even regained some of their memories through them. Besides, it made Murray feel as though he was a part of their family.

Another thing they enjoyed doing was writing on the walls. Murray had seen the writings on the walls, most of them rather depressing, and had wondered where they came from. As it turned out, pretty much everyone in the studio wrote on the walls. Although most of the writings in the studio were depressing, there were some that were genuinely rather funny. Although, those were quickly covered up or erased due to what they talked about. The Searchers, those who had broken free of the hive mind that is, liked to write messages mocking Joey or Alice on the walls.

The insults they used were generally childish in nature, accompanied by silly little drawings that did not depict their subjects kindly. Joey tended to erase the messages as soon as he found them, fuming at this insult to his power. Alice almost immediately tried to scrub them away, screaming about how disrespectful they were. Murray couldn’t help but giggle a little as well whenever the Searchers got away with this. Especially when their target was Joey. After all, Joey’s biggest flaw was his massive ego. It felt good to needle him where it hurt.

He was going to save these people, Murray decided. They’d had no reason to be nice to him, to accept him after what he’d done to them. But they had. They were good people, and they deserved to be happy. And maybe…Maybe he too deserved to be happy.

Henry, on the other hand, only thought he was happy. Feeling quite sure his act had fooled Henry, Joey had turned him loose to roam while he himself searched for Murray. Henry was humming to himself, making his way through the halls. He was completely oblivious to everything. Before he knew it, he found himself in the Music Department. He made a curious noise, looking around. It didn’t seem as though anyone else was there. It felt so lonely and empty without others there. Henry made a mournful noise, searching around for anything to entertain himself with. He vaguely remembered there being something in the sewers, so he decided to head there. 

It was in the sewers that he came across Jack Fain. Jack was sitting at his desk, staring down at the music sheets still left on his desk. He didn’t dare touch them for fear of ruining them. He knew it served no purpose for him to dwell on the past like this. But when he looked at those music sheets and his violin, he remembered all he’d lost. 

“ ** _Ja…ck…?_** ” He looked up abruptly to find Henry in the sea of ink beside his little alcove. 

“Henry? What are you doing here?” Jack asked. “I thought Joey would be keeping you close after…” He trailed off, hunching his shoulders. 

“ ** _Wanted to…explore,_** ” Henry said. “ ** _Joey’s….busy._** ”

“Ah.” Jack nodded tentatively. “Well, it’s nice to see you. I can’t imagine things have been easy for you lately.” Henry shrugged. 

“ ** _It’s o_** _kay. J_ oey…apologized…” As clarity returned to his mind, he trailed off. 

“Is something wrong?” Jack asked. He was understandably wary of any apology given by Joey Drew. 

“He lied to me again.” Henry’s shoulders slumped. “He spun some story about wanting a family and I fell for it. Again.”

“He’s lied to all of us at one time or another,” Jack said. “You shouldn’t feel bad about falling for it. We all did.” All except Norman, that was. 

“I should know better by now!” Henry slapped ineffectually at the ink. “I know what he’s like! I’ve seen what he’s capable of! I should have known!” Had he still been able to cry, he might have been crying at that point.

“Henry…” Jack slipped off his chair to join Henry in the ink, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Even if Joey wasn’t exerting his control on you, which I’m certain he was, you know how good he is at manipulating people. He knows just what to say to get us to go along with his plans.” 

Henry was silent for a moment before sighing heavily. “I guess you’re right.”

“You shouldn’t beat yourself up about this,” Jack assured him. “None of it is your fault. You’re just trying to survive, same as the rest of us.” Henry smiled, putting his hand on Jack’s. 

“Thank you.” He said. “I really appreciate it. You, Sammy, and Wally have all been so kind.”

“You’re our friend.” Jack smiled back at him. “Besides, we all help each other down here. We have to work together if we ever want to beat Joey.” Henry nodded, turning his gaze to the ink river. 

“Do you think we’ll ever make it out of here?” He asked. 

“We will,” Jack replied. “We just have to have faith.”

“If you say so.” Henry laughed weakly. 

“Dreams come true, right?” Jack said. “Anyway, why don’t we go to Sammy’s sanctuary? I think you deserve a rest.”

_Not all of them_ , Henry thought as he followed Jack upstairs.  _Not all of them._


	125. Chapter 125

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay the last story was amazing! The funny stuff with the Searchers gave me a cool idea for Alice/Susie though! What if she’s mad at Sammy for all the silly messages that the Searchers write about her on the walls? I think it would be interesting to see her outlook on the Searchers and Lost Ones! Plus I bet that she blames Sammy for everything since he was the first person to become infected. (Though it wasn’t his fault.) because she seems pretty selfish. Sorry if this idea isn’t very good. 😅**

I’m still sick and a little loopy, so this might not be great. But I like it.

* * *

The creature that had once been Susie Campbell didn’t sleep. Then again, it wasn’t as though ink creatures  _needed_  to sleep. But that wasn’t why she avoided closing her eyes for too long. When Alice slept, her dreams were haunted by visions of her past. Sometimes they were pleasant. Her and Sammy walking hand in hand through a park. Wally accidentally falling into Sammy’s office after listening at the door. Norman coming in with Wendy and the whole studio dropping everything to entertain her. But more often than not, what she saw was awful. The day she’d been infected was the one she saw most often.

_When she came in that day, she heard screaming. This wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary, but it seemed different this time. Despite her better judgment, Susie went to investigate the sounds. She hadn’t been in a particularly good place as of late, but she didn’t want to just stand by if someone was hurt. So, she followed the screams down to the Music Department. Her heart began to pound as she descended the stairs._

_“Hello? Is everything alright?” She called out, continuing tentatively forward. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, something fell into her line of sight. It was Wally, beat up and with ink dripping from his mouth.  
_

_“Wally?” She gasped. His eyes snapped up to meet hers, wide and frantic.  
_

_“Run.”  
_

_“What-?”  
_

_“ **RUN!** ” Wally yelled. It took her a moment to fully process these words and Wally’s state, and that moment was enough for Sammy to find her. As she turned to flee, she felt someone grab her arm. She looked back to see Sammy hold fast to her upper arm. He looked…wrong. There was ink in his hair, on his skin, soaked into his clothes. It almost seemed to be a part of him. And his eyes…They were uniform circles of golden light.   
_

_“Sammy?” She whispered. He growled, nails digging into her skin.  
_

_“Let her go!” Wally latched himself onto Sammy’s leg, trying to pull him back. Sammy’s attention was briefly drawn away by this, allowing Susie to wrench herself free and run. In the process, though, Sammy’s nails dragged across her flesh, leaving deep scores already festering with black ink. Her mind was racing. Sammy had gone crazy! She had to get help, had to find someone. For some reason, she found her feet taking her to Joey’s office. She didn’t know why she’d thought he’d help, but she stumbled into his office all the same.  
_

_“Mr. Drew! Something’s wrong!” She was on the verge of tears. “Sammy’s gone crazy! You have to help!” Joey sat at his desk, hands folded, looking completely calm._

_“There’s no need to worry,” he said, smiling brightly.  
_

_“Yes, there is!” Susie started to sob, clutching her arm. “He **attacked**  me, Mr. Drew! He looked like a wild animal! Look what he…did…” She looked down at her arm and trailed off. The scratches had turned black, and the darkness was spreading up her arm. She looked back at Joey, her eyes wide. Joey was still smiling, although there was an edge to it now._

_“Joey…What’s happening?” Her voice was small.  
_

_“Something that’s been a long time coming,” Joey said. His eyes almost seemed to be glowing red.  
_

_“Am I going to die?” It was getting hard to think now as the black ink oozed across her body. What was going to happen to her?  
_

_“Not precisely.” Joey waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Although, I imagine you would be unsatisfied with the form you’ll possess. I could help you if you like.”_

_“What is it? What do you want?” She wanted to survive. She had to survive._

_“All you need to do is let me run a few experiments.” Joey got up, crossing the desk to stand before Susie. “What do you say?”_

She’d said yes. Those experiments were also a reoccurring theme in her nightmares. She only half-remembered exactly what Joey had done, but she definitely remembered the pain. And in the end…None of the experiments had been worth it. She’d been a failure. She hadn’t been able to serve Joey’s goals, so he’d discarded her. She despised him for this. For making her into this monster and then just throwing her away.

He’d left her with an imperfect body and a ruined mind. Her emotions were all jumbled up, although her memories had for the most part remained. She wasn’t sure why she’d started calling herself Alice and trying to make herself ‘perfect’. Maybe it was because she already resembled Alice. Maybe she wanted to get back at Joey and prove that she  _was_ worth something.

At the very least, she could take comfort in the fact that she was neither a Searcher nor part of the hivemind. She tried to make herself feel better about her situation by looking down on the Searchers and the Lost Ones.  _She_  had a defined form.  _She_  knew who she was. They were nothing more than lost souls.

**_And she envied them more than anything._ **

No matter how hard she tried to make herself perfect, to become Alice Angel, she was still Susie Campbell. She was still trapped in a form that wasn’t her own, scared and confused and lonely. The Searchers and Lost Ones were in the same position, but they had each other. They had a community. A family.

_**They had Sammy.** _

She missed Sammy more than anything. Part of her blamed him for everything that had happened. He’d been the first one to be infected. But she still loved him. He’d always been there for her. Him and Wally. She wanted so badly to be a part of the family they’d created here. She didn’t want to be alone anymore.

The Searchers wrote things about her on the walls. They were never kind. They made fun of her, drawing pictures of her and writing silly insults. Given the way she terrorized them, it made sense. But it did hurt, knowing that she was the enemy of people Sammy cared about so much.

“No. I can’t think like that.” She told herself, shaking her head. “I’m better than them! I’m Alice Angel!” She  ** _was_** Alice Angel. Not Allison, her. Susie Campbell had been weak. She’d lost her role, she’d lost her self. She was Alice Angel. She was Alice Angel and she was going to be perfect. Then…Then everyone would love her. Then she would get her revenge on Joey.

For now, she was scrubbing some of the messages off the walls. They’d called her a meanie face and drawn a crude picture of her with her tongue out and stink lines coming from her head. 

“That Lawrence.” She grumbled, scrubbing furiously at the drawing. “He needs to control his sheep!” When Sammy called the Lost Ones and Searchers his sheep, it was a pet name, comforting and soft. When Alice did it, it was derisive and insulting. That was all they were, after all. Just mindless sheep following the sweet words of a liar. She could hear them giggling out of sight. 

“Come out you cowards!” She stood up, stamping her foot. “You’re old enough to know it’s rude to talk behind people’s backs!” The Searchers squealed, vanishing into the puddles. 

“Such insolence.” She huffed before going back to scrubbing. The messages had been popping up with a frightening frequency. It was honestly rather distracting. She’d probably have to send a formal complaint to Sammy at some point. She had work to do! She couldn’t keep dropping everything to clean away the messages. 

She did end up leaving a note on the door of his office. She knew full well she didn’t have the courage to confront him face to face, not with their history and how she’d been infected. But a note? She could do a note. 

_Lawrence,_

_Control your little sheep! They keep writing all over my walls and I can’t stand it anymore! Every day now I’ve had to stop my work to clean up their graffiti. Have them stop this at once!_

_-Alice Angel_

She didn’t really know if it would do anything, but it felt good to at least lodge a complaint. 

As she made her way down to the Music Department to put the note on his door, she felt a presence she hadn’t felt before. That was right…Henry was here now. Likely one of Joey’s pawns already. 

“You should never have come back.” She muttered. She tacked the note onto Sammy’s door and retreated to her sanctuary. 


	126. Chapter 126

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: The last story with Susie/Alice was amazing. It gave me a kind of funny idea. 😅😆 What if she comes across a group of Searchers from the Lost Ones Village and they’re in the middle of writing really funny stuff on the wall about her, and Henry who was in the area decided to join in on it too? Silly Searcher!Henry is so cute. Oh lol imagine if she’s trying to scold him for it and tell him it’s rude to write mean stuff on the walls, but he doesn’t get it and just leaves with the Searchers. 😆**

Sorry this took so long. 

* * *

Alice hated having her work interrupted. Even if her ‘work’ just involved cutting open Butcher Gang members and absorbing their hearts. But it was frequently interrupted nonetheless. Mostly by the Searchers and Lost Ones who liked to come and vandalize her halls. She might have been worried about them dragging her back to the hivemind if it hadn’t been blatantly obvious that they were under Sammy’s guidance. His little sheep, she always derisively thought, following their blasphemous shepherd. But that wasn’t important right now. What was important was that they wrote on her walls and she found it incredibly infuriating.

She found her work interrupted that day when she heard the giggling from one of her monitors. Groaning, she put her knife down, turning to see who was intruding this time. Unsurprisingly, she found a group of Searchers just outside the door to her sanctuary, near the elevator, giggling to each other and scribbling on the wall with their fingers. 

“Those little- Ugh!” She stamped her foot and grabbed her broom, storming out to meet them. If the Searchers noticed the shrieking of the doors opening, they didn’t show any sign of it, even as Alice marched right up to them brandishing her broom. They were writing some variation of ‘Alice is a stupid-head’ and had drawn a silly picture of her with her tongue stuck out and stink lines coming from her head. 

“Shoo! Go away!” She yelled, hitting them with the broom. “Get out of here!”

“You can’t tell us what to do!” The Searchers snickered, only backing off a little. “You’re not our mom~”

“I’m no one’s mother!” Alice snapped, redoubling her efforts. “Now get out of here!” It was then that she noticed one Searcher wasn’t moving. A Searcher who looked chillingly familiar. 

“….Henry?” She stopped, staring at him. Immediately, the other Searchers closed rank around Henry. 

“Leave him alone.” They said, bristling protectively. “He’s got enough to deal with. He doesn’t need you being mean to him too.”

“I’m not going to hurt him.” Alice took a step back, the broom hanging limply at her side. Henry stared curiously up at her, his head tilted to the side and his single visible eye wide. She couldn’t imagine what Joey had put him through. Henry had never been one to simply bend to Joey’s whims, or so she’d heard. Joey didn’t like being told no. Her breathing quickened a bit. 

“How can we be sure?” One of the Searchers demanded. “You hurt lots of people! How are we supposed to know you won’t hurt Henry just because he made you angry?”

“I’m not like that!” Alice protested. “I’m not like Joey!” The Searchers looked skeptical, which only made Alice more upset. 

“I’m not going to hurt you!” She threw her broom down. “I’m just going to give you a stern talking-to!”

“Ugh, you really are like our mom.” The Searchers rolled their eyes. Alice narrowed her eyes. They were so hard to please. 

“It’s this or I hit you with the broom.” Alice folded her arms. The Searchers considered this for a moment. 

“Alright. Fine. We’ll listen.” They conceded. Alice couldn’t help but smirk a little. She drew herself up to her full height, puffing out her chest. 

“Listen well, children.” She said, putting one hand on her chest. “A  _ **real**_ adult is going to tell you how proper adults behave.” The Searchers all groaned and rolled their eyes. Henry, however, stared up at Alice in wonder. Apparently, her confident demeanor impressed him.

However, as Alice began in her rant about proper behavior, Henry quickly grew bored. She was just droning on and on and it was so boring. He found his attention drifting back to the drawing on the wall. It was a pretty funny drawing. They’d enlisted Henry to do it since he’d been an animator. He still had quite a lot of artistic talent after all. He was pretty proud of this drawing. It wasn’t as good as some of his better drawings, but it was pretty cute if he did say so himself. 

“Are you even listening?” Alice’s voice brought Henry back into the moment. 

“Ooooh~ You got busted~” The other Searchers snickered. Henry hunched his shoulders, feeling his face starting to heat up.

“Have you heard a single word I said?” Alice asked, folding her arms. 

“ ** _….Yes_**.” Henry said slowly.

“Really?” Alice raised an eyebrow.

Henry avoided looking at her. “ ** _…..No._** ” 

“Honestly!” Alice’s face screwed up in irritation. “You said you’d prefer a lecture than getting hit with the broom.”

“We did.” The Searchers agreed. 

“ ** _It was…boring…though,_** ” Henry said. Alice sighed heavily.

“Just leave.” She pointed to the ink portal beside the Bendy statue. “I’ve had enough of this for today.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow, Miss Alice!” The Searchers smiled brightly and waved, disappearing through the portal. Henry remained behind, looking sheepish.

“ ** _Sorry…_** ” Henry said, handing her back her broom.

“It’s fine.” Alice waved a hand dismissively. “It’s not like this is the first time it’s happened.” She looked back over at the drawing and the message. “I’m going to have to clean this off. Just like all the others.”

“ _ **Is the…drawing…nice?**_ ” Henry asked hopefully. Alice glanced over at him, noticing his hopeful look. Ah, so he was responsible for it this time. 

“I don’t appreciate it, but it’s well done at the very least.” She said. Henry immediately perked up. He moved to hug her, only for her to immediately cringe away. 

“ ** _Oh…Right…_** ” Henry’s face fell again. “ ** _Sorry…_** ”

“It’s fine. Just…Go back to Sammy.” Alice gestured to the ink portal. “You can hug him all you like.” Henry just nodded before disappearing through the portal. Alice took a moment to compose herself before going to fetch her bucket and gloves. Cleaning up this mess would make her feel better. 


	127. Chapter 127

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Because of the last two with Susie/Alice I had an interesting idea! What if when Henry goes back to the Lost One Village to see Sammy, he tells him that he saw Alice. So then Sammy starts thinking about the past and then talks with Wally about if he should go see her and apologize? Because he probably felt too ashamed to see her after what happened the day of the corruption’s outbreak. And Wally probably tries to encourage him because he’s a good friend. He’s a great boi 😭😆**

In honor of you finishing your newest chapter, I thought I’d get this out!

* * *

Sammy wasn’t immediately concerned if he felt something hugging his legs. The Searchers tended to be very affectionate with him, often hugging him to surprise him or just because they were happy to see him. So he didn’t panic when he felt something hugging his legs as he talked with Wally about which areas of the studio might still have bacon soup. Until, that is, he heard Henry’s voice from behind him. 

“ ** _The lady said….to give you…this._** ” 

Sammy glanced down at Henry, who was currently latched onto his lower legs. 

“What lady?” He asked. “Do you mean Allison?” 

Henry shook his head. “ ** _Other angel lady…_** ”

“You mean Su-” Sammy had to catch himself and start over. “You mean Alice?” Henry nodded. 

“ ** _She said…nice things about…my drawings…_** ” He said. “ ** _I wanted to…hug her. She said…to hug you._** ”

“When did you see Alice?” Sammy asked, trying to calm himself. Was she here? Had she come to berate him? She’d never come down this far before. 

“Oh! Yeah!” Wally snapped his fingers. “Henry went with the Searchers to vandalize Alice’s place!” Henry nodded, visibly brightening.

“ ** _I drew…a picture!_** ” He said proudly. “ ** _It was…good!_** ”

“Heck yeah!” Wally crouched down, holding up a hand so that Henry could high five it. Henry did so. 

“Oh. Alright.” Sammy’s shoulders, previously hunched, lowered in relief. Wally noted this and stood up. 

“Hey, why dontcha go bug the others?” He suggested to Henry. “Sammy and I’ve still got some stuff to talk about.” Henry pouted, folding his arms. 

“It’s real boring stuff.” Wally gave him a goofy grin. “We’re talkin’ about supply runs. You wouldn’t be interested.” Henry considered this for a moment before nodding and heading off. Once he was sure Henry was out of hearing range, Wally turned back to Sammy. 

“You okay?” He asked. 

“I’m fine.” Sammy managed a shaky smile. “Anyway, I think there’s still some soup on the warehouse level. There’s some in Piedmont’s area that haven’t been touched. You know how he gets when  _anyone_  goes near him. He can’t see-”

“Sammy.” Wally cut him off, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” His expression was far more serious than it usually was, which made Sammy falter a bit. 

“I’m fine.” He repeated. “I just…Started thinking about the past is all.” He sighed softly. “I haven’t talked to Susie in ages.”

“Most of us haven’t talked to her in ages.” Wally laughed, slapping Sammy’s back. “She’s not exactly the talkative type these days.” Sammy tried to laugh as well, but it came out strangled and quiet. Wally’s expression dropped again.

“It’s still eatin’ you up, huh?” 

Sammy nodded, closing his eyes and trying to calm his quickening breathing. He hadn’t had a panic attack in so long. He’d been doing so well!

“It’s okay,” Wally said gently. Discretely, he got Sammy into one of the shacks, sitting him down on a cot and holding his hand as Sammy started to hiccup and sob. 

“It wasn’t your fault, Sammy,” he said. 

“I hurt everyone!” Sammy sobbed, covering his face with his free hand. “I hurt Susie! I hurt  ** _you_**!” He was dripping all over the cot and the floor, but it didn’t matter. It could be cleaned up.

“You didn’t want to,” Wally reassured him. “I know you didn’t want to.”

“It doesn’t matter if I wanted to! I still did it!” Sammy’s body shook as his tears fell. “It’s my fault we’re all stuck like this!”

“Hey. Don’t say that.” Wally’s voice was firm. “It ain’t nobody’s fault but Joey’s. He got us into this. Not you.” He squeezed his hand comfortingly and gave Sammy a big goofy grin. “You’re basically the only reason a lotta us are still sane.”

Sammy stared at him for a moment, then smiled softly, wiping away some of his tears and shaking his head. 

“You’re such an idiot.” He muttered. 

“Yeah, well, you’ve been friends with me since we were kids.” Wally’s grin widened. “So who’s the real idiot here?”

“Obviously me.” Sammy chuckled. Wally laughed as well, rather relieved to see that Sammy was alright now.

“You should talk to her.” He said as Sammy stood up, brushing his overalls off. Sammy stiffened a bit. 

“Talk to…Susie?” He asked quietly.

“Yeah.” Wally nodded. “You can go and apologize. Maybe try and patch things up with her. I think you’d both feel better if you two talked.” 

Sammy hesitated, playing with the bow at his collar. “You really think so?”

“Yeah.” Wally got up as well. “Look, Susie might be all messed up right now, but she’s still Susie in there. She hasn’t hurt any of the Searchers or the Lost Ones or either of us.”

“She isn’t going to want to see me.” Sammy murmured, still playing with his bow. “You know that.”

“She won’t hurt you.” Wally patted his back. “Just try it.”

“Well, alright.” Sammy took a deep breath. “I’ll…I’ll do it.”

He set off to Alice’s domain, still rather nervous about the whole thing. He was still ashamed of what he’d done, and he imagined she was still angry about it. She was still scrubbing away at the messages when he exited the ink portal. He was fidgeting as he stepped out, his breath coming in quick gasps. 

“I’m not in the mood to be taunted, if that’s what you’re here for.” She didn’t even look up. “Your friends were already here, as you can see.”

“I’m not here to taunt you,” Sammy said. Alice froze at his voice, dropping the sponge and standing up. The look on her face was positively demonic. 

“ ** _You._** ” She spat. “What do you want?! Why have come here?! After what you’ve done!”

“I came to apologize.” Sammy took a deep breath, still fidgeting with his hands. 

“You think that will fix anything?” She sneered. “You think a simple apology will absolve you of all wrongdoing?” 

“No. I don’t.” Sammy stared down at his feet. “I know it’s not going to fix what’s happened. It certainly won’t erase what I did. But…” He bit his lip. “I miss you, Susie.”

“No!” She shrieked, covering her ears and sinking to her knees. “No! I’m not Susie! Susie was weak!”

“I miss you,” Sammy repeated, his voice stronger this time as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “What I did to you and Wally still kills me. I hate myself for letting Joey control me like that. But I’m trying…I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to protect the others so that none of us can be controlled again.” He drew closer, stopping not far from her.

“I want to help you.” He knelt in front of her. “Please, let me help you.” Alice’s whole body shook as she tried to suppress sobs. 

“Leave.” She whispered. 

“But-”

“Please, just go.” 

Sammy sighed, the sound quiet and mournful, and got to his feet. 

“You know where to find me.” He said before disappearing into the ink portal. 

Alice sat there for what felt like an eternity, trying to calm herself. Seeing Sammy again…It had stirred up a multitude of feelings she’d thought she’d buried. If she was going to forgive him, and that was a big if, it would take time. Eventually, she managed to get up and finish scrubbing the messages from the wall. She left the picture up, out of respect for Henry. Then she returned to her sanctuary to lay down. She was too tired for this.


	128. Chapter 128

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: Okay because of the new story I wrote I thought of an interesting prompt idea! What if Henry, still not totally awake. Is still shocked over what happened with those two intruders, tries to flee to the Lost One Village to tell Sammy, but the puddles is trying to keep him from going? Woah what if Henry runs into the two people, that are now Searchers and just breaks down! Oh wow Sammy and Wally need to help him. Sorry if this idea is too dark or angsty! You don’t have to write it. It’s okay! 😅😅**

Sorry this took so long.

* * *

Henry wasn’t okay. Those people were dead.  ** _They were dead_**. The Searchers had killed and corrupted them. He’d known that was how a lot of the Searchers had been made, at least before the hivemind had dulled his mind, but witnessing it…It was so much more horrible than he could have ever imagined. And the worst part was that Joey had wanted  **him**  to be the one to kill those people. His sense of security had been shattered, revealing itself to be just another falsehood employed by Joey.

The other Searchers were staring at him curiously, a bit confused by his sudden outburst. They were pretty used to Henry fighting back against the puddles by this point. They’d all gone through it. They were satisfied that Henry would eventually give in. They all did, in the end. But it was still interesting to watch Henry fight. He was different than most of them. He was Joey’s favorite, retaining a slightly human form. A few were jealous that Henry had been so blessed. He even remembered his name, a luxury few of the Searchers and Lost Ones possessed. But they would never hurt Henry. He was Joey’s favorite, after all. And they all answered to Joey.

Henry’s breath came in short gasps as he backed up, his eye wide. He had to get out of here, had to find someplace safe where Joey couldn’t get him. His mind was racing. He could feel Joey trying to exert his influence and get Henry back under his control, but Henry’s panic and terror were pushing him back. They both knew Henry couldn’t last long, however. Joey’s influence was far too strong. Suddenly, an idea popped into Henry’s head. Sammy! Sammy had that village on the lower levels! Allowing himself a smile, he set off as fast as he could. The quickest way was through the ink puddles.

“ ** _Henry, don’t you dare,_** ” Joey growled. “ ** _Don’t you dare run from me!_** ” Henry was stopped in his proverbial tracks, letting out a small gasp of pain as Joey’s rage overcame him. In the ink puddles, Joey’s influence was much stronger. He could cause those under his control to feel pain, which was exactly what he was doing now. Pain was a creation of the mind, and Joey had complete control over that. 

“ ** _Come back to my office, Henry, and I won’t punish you too badly._** ” Henry could feel Joey’s breath on his cheek while his body stood rigid. Every movement sent pain lancing through his body. When he could force himself to move, that was. Some unseen force, probably Joey or the other inhabitants of the puddles, was holding him in place. 

“Leave me alone! I don’t want to be your puppet anymore!” Henry tried to sound angry, or the least bit intimidating, but his voice came out as little more than a whimper.

“ ** _Oh, Henry._** ” Henry felt arms wrapping around him, the grasp ironclad and hinting at the ability to crush Henry if he did something wrong. “ ** _Must we go through this song and dance again? We both know how it will end._** ” The grip on Henry tightened, almost painfully so. “ ** _You’ll swear not to fall for my tricks anymore, I’ll yell, we’ll fight, and then you’ll end up back in my arms._** ”

“You wanted me to kill someone!” Henry struggled, ignoring the screams of protest from his body. “I can’t forgive you for that!”

“ ** _But they’re not dead._** ” Joey purred. “ ** _They’re part of our family now._** ” He waved a hand and the intruders rose from the blackness. Their expressions were blank, their eyes glass as they stared at Henry. Henry instinctively flinched back. 

“ ** _See? They’re fine._** ” Joey said. The gesture was obviously supposed to be comforting, but it only served to upset Henry even more. 

“They’re not fine!” Henry managed to wrench himself away from Joey, turning on his friend. Now there was fury in his eyes. He was positively livid. 

“Your  ** _family_**  is disgusting and I don’t want any part of it!”  He screamed before disappearing into the ink once more. Joey was caught off guard for a moment, allowing Henry to slip away from him. No matter how many times Henry talked back to him, Joey was still surprised and caught off guard every time. 

By the time he managed to regain his composure, Henry had a substantial headstart. Immediately, Joey’s temper flared. 

“ ** _Hen͞ry͘~͟ ͡C͝o̸mę ̛back, ̵won'͞t ̴you͘?͞_** ” His voice echoed in the abyss of the ink, haunting Henry as he ran. “ ** _I̵ ̴pr͞omi͘se͢ ̴I͏'͝ll be҉ ge͝n̶t̸le̢ i͢f y͟ou ̕c̴o͢m͠e ba͡çk n͘o̷w̴._** ” 

Henry gave no response, continuing to flee. If he could just to get to the Lost One village, he’d be okay. They’d keep him safe. They were his friends. This lack of response only served to make Joey even angrier. 

“ ** _Ḩ͘E̴̴N҉R̴͢͠Y͟.̸̵͘ C͡O͞ME̢͢ ͠͡͡B͜A̸̛͘C͜K̸͠ ̵R͝I̧G̸Ḩ̡̛T̡̡ ̧N҉̵OW͟._** ” His voice was a roar now, reverberating strangely. “ ** _Y͟͢O̴͏U͏҉'̷̨͞R̷E̷̷ S̴T̸͠͝A͞͞Ŗ͢T̵I̧N҉G̢͘ ̧͠TǪ͠ ͢T̛̕R̛͞Y ͠MY̷̴̛ ̢P҉̷AT̨̛͜I̴Ȩ̧͝N͏C̷E̵͝!̸̛_** ”

“Almost there,” Henry muttered. He could feel Sammy’s presence ahead, along with that of Wally and many other Lost Ones and Searchers. He was almost there. He was almost free. 

“ ** _Henry, please don’t go._** ” Joey’s voice was suddenly quieter, and much much closer. Henry could hear his own heart pounding in his ears. He couldn’t stop. He had to keep going. But Joey’s voice made him pause. It was the voice of the Joey he’d known.

“Don’t fall for it.” He muttered, shaking his head. “It wasn’t real. It was never real.”

“Don’t you love me, Henry?” 

Henry stopped. Joey’s voice was right behind him. Joey was right behind him. He was almost at the puddle that led to the village. Freedom was within his grasp. But he stopped. 

“I did…” Henry admitted, his hands shaking at his sides. “I loved you more than anything, Joey. You were my best friend. You were like a brother to me.”

“If I’m like your brother, then why won’t you be part of my family?” Joey took a step toward him. 

“This isn’t a family, Joey.” Henry’s throat felt tight. “No one here is happy. They’re not even people. They’re just soulless husks.”

“ _You’re_ not a soulless husk.”

“Not right now, I’m not. But I am when I’m under your control.”

“I would never try to erase your soul, Henry!” Joey was almost beside him now, fingers brushing Henry’s back. 

“You already have.” Henry looked back at him, his expression cold and hard. “You never wanted a friend. At least not a real one. You just wanted someone to be your yes-man. I was stupid to think you ever cared about me.” Then he was gone through the puddle, leaving Joey alone in the darkness. Joey stood there for a moment or two, staring at the space where Henry had been.

Everyone in the studio could feel the discharge of Joey’s rage. The entire building shook as though something was shaking it like a child would a dollhouse. The inhabitants of the studio cowered, making sure to stay out of sight and especially out of Joey’s way. Murray let out a strangled shriek when the door to his lab was slammed open. Joey stood in the doorway, his eyes glowing an unearthly red, ink dripping from every orifice of his body. 

“ ** _Y͠o҉͝u̷̢҉.̵̨͝_**  ” He growled, looking up at Murray. 

“Yes?” Murray squeaked, forcing himself to smile nervously.

“ ** _T̴͡h̨e͏r̛͏͝e̢'҉̶s ̡̡s̨o͘m̧̧e͘w͠͏h҉̧e̢̛͢re͜ ̢I ̴n̵ee̴d͞ ̕y̡o͡u ̧͠͞t͞o̷̷ ͢go…._** ”


	129. Brothers In Arms

I was talking with [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) the other day and she shared some ideas she had about her Saudade AU, as seen [here](https://askthesaudadecharactersbatimau.tumblr.com/). The idea was so cute that I just had to write it. So here’s Wally and Sammy being best friends. 

* * *

Wally was the first person to break free of the hivemind enough to become a Lost One. He had a pretty strong sense of identity that even Joey couldn’t take away from him. Yes, he could be a goofball, but he had rather strong convictions. He knew who he was and what he stood for and no one could erase that. However, even though he **could** become a Lost One it didn’t mean he immediately did. Despite being the first to pull himself free, he waited to become a Lost One. The reason for this? Sammy Lawrence. Sammy was still lost in the well of voices, letting his own anxieties and fears overwhelm him. If Wally left now, then Sammy would be alone in the darkness. Not to mention, Wally himself would be alone. Wally didn’t like being alone, and he knew Sammy didn’t like it either. The majority of Sammy’s childhood had involved him being isolated and alone. Wally didn’t want Sammy to be alone again. 

“Yeah, I’ll just keep napping until Sammy wakes up.” He told himself before drifting back to sleep.

When Sammy finally pulled himself from the hivemind, Wally went with him. They pulled themselves out of a puddle in the Music Department, their forms still lacking any defining characteristics. It would take time for them to be able to mold their bodies into something that resembled their human appearances. 

“Oh hey! Look at that!” Wally grinned, looking at Sammy. “We got out at the same time!” It was usually pretty hard to tell when a Lost One was smiling. But Wally already sort of had a mouth. After all, his smile was one of his defining characteristics. 

“I…I guess we did.” Sammy managed a smile as well.  Wally got to his feet, looking around. 

“Looks like we’re in your territory.” He rested his hands on his hips. “Must be a nice sight to wake up to. Oh! And your sanctuary’s around here too, right?” He started to head for the sanctuary, getting a few feet before pausing when he noticed Sammy wasn’t following.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, turning back around and walking back to his friend.

“How are you so happy?” Sammy asked, looking up at him. He didn’t have much in the way of facial features to illustrate his emotions, but Wally could tell from his voice that Sammy was rather upset. 

“Look at what happened to us. Look at what happened to the studio.” Sammy gestured to himself and then to the studio around them. “How can you be so happy after everything that’s happened?” He sounded on the verge of tears.

“Okay, I’ll admit this situation isn’t great. But we can’t just let ourselves get sucked down by despair” Wally crouched down, giving Sammy an encouraging smile. “Yeah, we’re horrific ink creatures, but we’ve still got each other, don’t we?”

“I…I guess we do.” Sammy conceded. “But how are we going to get out of here? What if we never do? What if we’re stuck here for the rest of our lives, forced to be Joey’s playthings forever?! What if-” His voice started to rise, becoming panicked as his breathing quickened and he began to hyperventilate. 

“Hey.” Wally cut him off, his voice gentle but firm. “Don’t start thinking like that. If you do, you’ll just end up melting and you’ll be back there.” He gestured to the puddle behind them. 

“You’re not alone, Sammy. I’m here for you.” He continued. “I’m always gonna be here for you. You’re my friend and I’m not gonna let you go through this by yourself.”

“Why would I go through this by myself?” Sammy asked. 

“I dunno.” Wally shrugged. “You like playing lone wolf sometimes. Pretending you’re all cool and mysterious.”

“When have I ever done that?!” Sammy sputtered, scrambling to his feet. Wally stood up as well, a mischievous grin on his face. 

“I can think of a few times~” He said. “I can refresh your memory if you like.”

“N-No!” If Sammy still had the ability to blush, he would have been bright red at this point. “Ugh! You’re the worst!”

“You love me~” Wally leaned on Sammy, his smile widening. 

“I do and I hate it,” Sammy grumbled, gently pushing Wally off. “Come on, let’s see if my sanctuary is still intact.” He started off down the hallway. Wally’s smile softened as he watched Sammy. There wasn’t a lot he could do in this situation. He had no way of magically fixing things and returning everything to normal. But there was one thing he could do. The thing he always did. Make people smile. He didn’t care if people thought he was stupid or clumsy, just so long as he could make people happy. 

“Are you coming or not?” Sammy had stopped at the end of the hallway, arms folded and his foot tapping. 

“Yeah, of course!” Wally quickly got moving. “Just got a little lost in my mind, y’know?”

“I know.” Sammy nodded. They entered the band room, turning to liquid to slip under the door to Sammy’s sanctuary. They were both too tired to go through the trouble of opening it. The sanctuary was pretty much the same as it had been the last time they’d been in there. 

“Hey! The toilet’s still here!” Wally ran over to inspect it. “Man, why’d you even put this thing in?”

“You know why.” Sammy stopped at his desk, running his fingers over the wood. To his displeasure, his touch left streaks of ink on the surface. 

“Do we even need to go to the bathroom anymore?” Wally asked, sitting down on the floor. 

“I don’t even want to think about that.” Sammy groaned. The two of them sat in the sanctuary for a moment or two, just sitting in silence. Then Wally spoke up again.

“Y’think anyone’s eaten the bacon soup?”

“I don’t know.” Sammy’s nose wrinkled at the thought. “God, it’s probably spoiled by now.”

“Oh well.” Wally shrugged. “It’s pretty much the only thing to eat around here. If we need to eat.”

“I feel like we probably need to eat,” Sammy said, sitting down at his desk. “…I guess we’ll have to get used to the taste.”

“I don’t think we  **can**  taste anymore.”

“Good. I don’t think I could stand the taste of spoiled soup.”

Wally smiled to himself, sitting back. They were going to be okay, he told himself. So long as he and Sammy were together, they were going to be okay.


	130. Chapter 130

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: The last two stories were amazing! I felt really bad for Henry, and Sammy and Wally were awesome! It gave me an angsty idea though. What if Henry, on the way to the Village, starts to wonder about the things he can’t remember while being ‘asleep’ and starts to worry about it. Maybe Joey is still mad from before and decides to mess with him. Meanwhile Sammy and Wally get a surprise visit from Alice/Susie! Maybe she worked up the courage to go to the Lost Ones Village! Sorry if this idea is bad 😅**

A lot of emotions are going to be felt.

* * *

Henry was technically out of Joey’s range now, but Joey could still talk to him. After all, Henry hadn’t managed to pull himself from the hivemind. Even if he was currently ‘awake’, he still remained a part of the ink and thus connected to Joey. Joey was, of course, fuming about letting Henry get away. An upset Joey was an unpleasant Joey. And so, even though he couldn’t directly torment Henry, he used his words to sow doubt in his friend’s mind.

“ _ **Henry~**_ ” 

“Go away, Joey.” 

“ _ **But I haven’t even said anything yet!**_ ”

“We just had a conversation and I don’t want to talk to you.” Henry fought back the urge to roll his eyes. Dealing with Joey was becoming rather emotionally draining. 

“ _ **Are you still mad about those two intruders?**_ ” Joey asked. There wasn’t a trace of guilt in his voice. Only confusion.

“Of course I am!” Henry snapped. “You had them killed!”

“ _ **I’ve had lots of people killed. Why should you care? I brought them back.**_ ” Joey almost sounded like he was pouting. 

“You didn’t bring them back! You just reanimated their corpses! They’re basically zombies!”

“ ** _They are not._** ”

“They don’t have any individual personality, they don’t have any feelings, they’re just mindless shambling creatures!” 

Henry wasn’t entirely correct with this assessment, but he was close. The Searchers were kind of like the stereotypical zombies one would see in movies. They were reanimated corpses who didn’t retain any individuality and sought only to infect others. But they were also rather close to the voodoo zombie in the sense that they were corpses reanimated by magic in order to serve the goal of the practitioner. 

“ ** _They do have feelings!_** ” Joey insisted. He wished they didn’t, honestly. It would have been better if they were mindless creatures. They followed his will, of course, but they also retained some of their former personalities and emotions. Sometimes they even pulled themselves out of the hive mind.

“I haven’t seen them display any kind of emotions.” Henry hunched his shoulders a bit. “You can’t really bring the person back. Only their body.”

“ _ **I brought you back, didn’t I?**_ ”

This made Henry stop.

“What…What did you say?” He asked, turning back. Joey’s spectral form stood before him. 

“ _ **I brought you back,**_ ” Joey repeated. “ _ **Did you not know that? When people succumb to the corruption they die.**_ ”

“I…Died?” Henry stared at him. His expression was somewhere between shock and anguish. So many emotions were flooding over him. He’d…died. 

“ _ **But you all come back, so it’s fine!**_ ” Joey smiled. “ _ **Now you’ll live forever!**_ ” Henry was not comforted by this, continuing to stare blankly into space.

“ _ **It’s really not a big deal, Henry,**_ ” Joey said dismissively.

“Yes, it is!” Joey was taken aback by the sudden force of Henry’s voice. Henry looked positively furious. His entire body was shaking and he was barely holding back tears. 

“I died and I didn’t even get to see Linda again.” Henry’s voice broke as he covered his face with his hands. Joey bristled at the mention of Linda. What was so great about her anyway? Henry hadn’t known her for nearly as long as he’d known Joey. What did she have that he didn’t? In front of Joey, Henry had begun to sob, lamenting his inability to be reunited with his love. This only served to anger Joey even more.

“ _ **Why do you care so much about her?**_ ” He demanded. “ _ **You’ve known me for far longer! Why don’t you care about me the way you do her?!**_ ”

“SHE DIDN’T TRY TO KILL ME!” Henry screamed back. “SHE DIDN’T TRY TO TURN ME INTO SOME KIND OF SCREWED UP PUPPET!”

“ ** _I did it for you!_** ” Joey insisted. 

“No, you didn’t! You did it for yourself! You decided that no one was allowed to have me but you! You’re a selfish and abusive person!”

“ ** _You’re the selfish one!_** ” Joey stamped his foot. “ ** _You abandoned me!_** ”

“You drove me away!”

“ ** _I DIDN’T!  I DIDN’T I DIDN’T I DIDN’T!!_** ” Joey kept stamping his foot, sounding and looking very much like a child having a temper tantrum. Henry, not wanting to have this conversation any longer, finally exited the puddles and entered the Lost Ones’ village. He didn’t tell anyone he was there, slipping into the shack Sammy often used and just curling up on a cot. 

Meanwhile, Sammy and Wally were serving everyone their meals. They were pretty sure it was dinner, but it was honestly hard to tell. It was mealtime, that was what was important. Sammy was preparing the soup in a big pot they’d borrowed from Boris over a fire while Wally dished up the soup and took it to the Lost Ones and Searchers. Most of the Searchers didn’t really eat, but a few liked to try. They’d gotten through half the inhabitants when they heard a boat pulling up. The only people who ever used a boat were Allison and Tom, so when Sammy looked up he expected to see them. He did not. He almost dropped his ladle.

“Is that Susie?” Wally asked, narrowing his eyes to try and get a better look. A whisper began to pass through the crowd of Lost Ones and Searchers. 

“Why is  _ **she**_  here?”

“Oh, God! She’s finally here to get revenge for the graffiti!”

“Does she really think she can just come here? This is  **our**  home.” 

The ones who’d already been fed decided it was time to make themselves scarce, disappearing into puddles or into the shacks. Sammy stood stock still, staring as Alice’s boat docked and she gingerly got out and made her way up the dock. The remaining Searchers and Lost Ones scrambled away from her, forming a huddle behind Sammy.

“How rude.” She folded her arms, stopping a few feet from them. “I’m not  _that_ scary.”

“You kinda are,” Wally said. He had subtly placed himself between Sammy and Alice, ready to react if she tried to attack. Alice’s face twisted in annoyance, but she didn’t come any closer. 

“So, why’re you here?” Wally asked. Sammy still hadn’t spoken.

“I…” Alice began to fidget, wringing her hands. “I wanted to…apologize.”

“Apologize?” Wally raised an eyebrow.

“When Sammy came to my floor, I was…I didn’t react well.” She said slowly. “You reached out to me and I…I practically spat in your face.” She started to chew on her lip. “…I’m sorry.” 

Wally looked back at Sammy, who seemed to have calmed himself a little. He put down the ladle, walking around the pot in order to stand in front of Alice. She flinched back a bit, fully expecting he’d yell at her. Instead, he smiled. 

“I accept your apology.” He didn’t try to touch her, knowing he likely still had the capability to drag her back into the puddles.

“You…You do?” She looked up, her eye widening. 

“I do,” Sammy repeated, smiling warmly at her. “Would you like some soup? We were just in the middle of mealtime.”

“Hope ya like bacon soup!” Wally said brightly. “‘Cause that’s what we’ve got!”

“I’m…used to it by now.” Alice replied. She didn’t feel comfortable with smiling yet, but she did feel a bit better as Sammy ushered her over to the pot of soup. The Lost Ones and Searchers kept their distance, watching her warily. Eventually, the conversation resumed.  Alice sat beside Sammy, eating her soup. She felt….good. It had been a long time since she’d eaten with other people. Since she’d eaten with…friends. 

As Sammy and Wally bickered over something, she allowed herself a smile. She’d missed this. She’d missed  **them**. Maybe…Maybe things could get better. For now, though, she contented herself with eating her soup. 


	131. Wally's Vengeance

I was having a discussion with [@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) about what April Fool’s Day would be like in her [Saudade AU](https://askthesaudadecharactersbatimau.tumblr.com/) prior to the downfall of the studio. And I got an idea….

She provided most of the ideas. I just came up with the idea of Wally exacting vengeance through pranks.

* * *

Wally was generally a pretty laidback guy. He hardly ever held grudges, he didn’t purposefully get into fights. He just liked to be silly and make people laugh. However, he had the ability to be marvelously petty when given the chance. If someone close to him was hurt, either emotionally or physically, Wally retaliated in the only way he knew how. Pranks. Wally wasn’t a big fan of violence, but he loved pranks. And he was good at it too. If he was wronged, it wasn’t uncommon for the perpetrator to suddenly find that their pens were missing, or the key to their office had somehow found its way into a jello mold, or their ink had been replaced with glue. No one could ever prove he was behind said pranks, but the recipients knew. They always knew. It never took long for them to come crawling to Wally begging for it to stop. And it would.

Wally was a lot smarter than most gave him credit for. He was good at planning and execution, stealth and working in the shadows. Most had overlooked him during the studio’s run. He was the janitor, after all, and most thought of him as nothing but a bumbling fool. Even Joey had underestimated how competent and capable Wally could be when he put his mind to it. 

Now, there wasn’t a lot that Wally could do now that the studio had gone under and they were all trapped in Joey’s little dollhouse. He couldn’t physically hurt Joey, but he could certainly make life as inconvenient for Joey as he possibly could. His thought process was something along these lines, 

_You wanna trap us all in this studio? Okay, fine. I hope you like all the doors being coated with glue and buckets waiting to dump ink and feathers on you on all the doors._

Once or twice, Wally had even snuck into Joey’s room while he was sleeping and drew on his face in permanent marker. That had been a day to remember for sure. Wally didn’t always prank Joey. After all, he and Sammy had a little village to run and other people to take care of. They had to help the Searchers and Lost Ones pull themselves together, find food, get rid of Butcher Gang members. They had responsibilities. But when April Fools came around, Wally went hard. 

It was hard to tell what day it was most of the time. They didn’t have any windows or calendars or anything, so normally they didn’t know the date or time or anything. But before Grant had been returned to the hivemind, he’d managed to create a calendar for them using his math skills. It was approximate and not entirely right, and they knew that, but it was pretty much the best thing they had. Sammy and Wally had set it up in the middle of the village so everyone could check it. Celebrating birthdays helped cement the identities of the Lost Ones and Searchers. 

This was how Wally knew when it was April Fools day. He always made a big deal of it when it came around. All the Lost Ones and Searchers looked forward to it. Sammy already knew it was coming when he woke up to Wally assembling a bucket of glue, a bag of feathers, and a permanent marker. 

“April Fools day already?” He mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Wally just grinned. 

A few minutes later, Wally was in the middle of the village next to the calendar with a group of Searchers and Lost Ones gathered around him.

“Today is the day that we make Joey Drew regret ever hiring us!” He boomed, his arms spread wide and his voice echoing throughout the cavern. “Today we get back at him for everything he’s done to us!”

The Lost Ones and Searchers erupted into deafening cheers, applauding and whooping as Wally bowed grandly. 

“Thank you, thank you. There’s no need to call me a hero, even though I am.” He said. 

“No one said that.” Sammy was trying very hard to look disapproving, despite the smile that kept tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

“Come on, you know you were thinking it.” Wally winked at him. Then he picked up his supplies, gave an army salute, and set off to prank Joey. The inhabitants of the village all solemnly saluted back, even Sammy. 

Meanwhile, Joey knew what was coming. He actually did have a calendar, and a man who could go outside, so he knew exactly what day it was. However, he was aware that the ink creatures were a few days behind so he lived in fear for the few days before and after April 1rst. Murray found this absolutely hilarious, but he couldn’t exactly say anything for fear of getting killed. It was rather hard to hide his laughter, though. 

“I should have never corrupted that fool,” Joey grumbled to himself as he prepared to head out of his room for the day. Henry was with him at the moment and he was going to take him to see Bendy, hoping that if he was around Bendy, Wally wouldn’t dare pull a prank.

“I should have just killed him instead-” He opened the door and a bucket of glue fell on him, followed by a bucket of feathers. For a moment, Joey just stood there, twitching. Then he let out a horrifying demonic screech, starting to stamp and shake his fists and act like a child throwing a tantrum. 

This sight was enough to break through Henry’s corrupted mind. Awareness entered his eye and he began to absolutely howl with laughter. He was laughing so hard he was almost reduced to a puddle. 

“Henry, what are you doing-” Joey turned around to see Henry on the ground. “Stop laughing at me!! Stop it!!” He sounded and looked like a child throwing a tantrum and it was absolutely hilarious. Henry was laughing even harder now. He couldn’t breathe. It was just too funny. 

Joey turned back to the door to storm out, only to find Wally standing there with a Polaroid camera. Before Joey could react, Wally snapped a picture, a giant grin on his face. 

“Everyone’s gonna love this.” He snickered before taking off down the hallway. Joey just stood there, stunned. God, he hated April Fools. God, he hated Wally. 


	132. Chapter 132

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: The recent stories have been TOO good! It keeps giving me new ideas because of how great they are! (Sorry if I’m overwhelming you though. You don’t have to do these it’s totally fine.) What if Alice/Susie starts to feel that it isn’t so bad being around Sammy and Wally again, and thinks about the good times she had with them? Meanwhile Sammy finds Henry all sad and broken from what happened and he and the other ink-creatures help make him feel better, because they’ve all been through it too?**

Sorry this took so long.

* * *

Sammy, Wally, and Alice sat together, eating quietly for quite a while. Sammy and Wally eventually started talking about finding more resources and clearing out some of the Butcher Gang members. They were gathering in the administration level again and the Heavenly Toys area. One of the younger Lost Ones wanted a plushie because they’d remembered they liked sleeping with a stuffed animal.

“Why don’t we go play some of the warehouse games while we’re out?” Wally suddenly suggested. “Bertie probably wouldn’t mind if we rode his ride either.”

“I don’t know, we have a lot to do.” Sammy pursed his lips, tapping his fingers nervously on his bowl. 

“Come on.” Wally hooked an arm around Sammy’s shoulder. “We deserve to have fun every once in a while.”

“You just want to show off that you’re better at the strength game,” Sammy muttered.

“Let me have that. You’re better at literally anything involving hand-eye coordination.” Wally leaned on Sammy’s shoulder, doing puppy eyes. Sammy snorted, allowing himself a small smirk. Alice couldn’t help but laugh a little. She remembered Wally dragging her down to the warehouse with Sammy to play those carnival games. It had felt like a big adventure, knowing that if Joey caught them they’d get yelled at for slacking off.

“Do you wanna come with us?” She snapped back to reality at Wally’s question, finding Wally and Sammy both looking at her.

“I-I…I’m sure you don’t want me along.” She turned her gaze downward, her grip on her bowl tightening.

“Of course we do!” Wally said. “You’re the only one who can beat Sammy at the milk bottle game!”

“She can beat Sammy at the milk bottle game?” A Lost One asked in wonderment. “I thought no one could do that!”

“Oh yeah, she’s great at the bottle game.” Wally continued, lighting up. “The first time we took her down there, Sammy wanted to impress her so he tried to show off at the bottle game, but he only managed to knock down a couple bottles cause he was so nervous. Susie knocked down all of ‘em on her first try.”

“I didn’t knock down all of them.” She felt her cheeks beginning to heat up.

“Well, you knocked down most of them.” Sammy chuckled. “You certainly showed me how it was done.”

“You were better at the shooting game.”

“Not by much. I’m not very good with firearms.”

“None of us are good with guns.” Wally pointed out. Alice laughed. She’d forgotten how much she’d missed them, missing being a part of their group. Being with them, it almost made her forget how terrible things were. Wally was still as happy and optimistic as she remembered. And Sammy was as kind and patient as he’d always been.

She didn’t deserve this, a sudden voice in her head said. She’d been terrible to the Lost Ones and Searchers. She’d tortured Butcher Gang members. She’d terrorized the inhabitants of the studio almost as much as Joey. She didn’t deserve this kindness. She didn’t deserve a second chance. She instinctively drew into herself, hunching her shoulders.

“You okay?” Wally asked. 

“I should go.” She put the bowl on the ground and stood up. “I’ve wasted enough of your time.”

“You haven’t been wasting our time.” Sammy got up with her. He looked slightly panicked at the idea of her leaving again. He didn’t want them to go back to being enemies.

“I’ve been taking advantage of your kindness.” She shook her head. “I don’t deserve to be treated this well. I should just go.”

“Hey, we’ve all made mistakes.” Wally got up too. “You’re as much of a victim as the rest of us are.”

“But I’ve hurt people!” She turned around, hands clasped to her chest. “I’ve hurt all of you!”

“We’ve all hurt each other.” Sammy reached for her before quickly withdrawing his hand. “I don’t want to lose you again, Susie. Please. Stay.”

“We’re all pretty messed up at this point.” Wally offered a comforting smile. “Let us help you.” The creature who had previously been Susie Campbell hesitated. Behind Sammy and Wally, the Lost Ones and Searchers watched her. They were still rather wary, but they did look like they wanted her to stay.

“I’ll just hurt you in the end.” She said weakly. 

“If you do, we’ll deal with it,” Sammy replied, taking another step toward her. “You’re not alone. We’ll help you.” 

“You promise?” Susie whispered. 

“I promise.” Sammy smiled softly. Susie glanced back at the boat before nodded, allowing the others to bring her back to where she’d been sitting. 

“I need to go get something, and then we can go down to the warehouse level and play the carnival games,” Sammy said. 

“Gotcha.” Wally made finger guns toward him. “We’ll be here.” Sammy slipped into his shack to recover the sack he used for gathering supplies. It was then that he discovered Henry curled up on his cot. 

“Henry? When did you get here?” He asked, slipping his bag over his head. 

“A while ago.” Henry mumbled. “Before Susie showed up.”

“Are you alright?”

“Is anyone ever alright here?”

“I suppose you have a point.” Sammy let out a small laugh. “What’s bothering you?”

“…I didn’t know I was dead.” Henry said after a moment. “I didn’t know that we all…died to become these things.”

“Ah.” Sammy sat down on the edge of the cot. “I had thought you knew.” Henry curled tighter. 

“I died and I didn’t even get to see Linda.” His voice caught in his throat, threatening to turn into a sob. Sammy patted Henry’s back. 

“I’m sure she’ll wait as long as it takes for you to get to her.” He said. 

“You know, if she were still here, she’d probably beat Joey up.” Henry laughed, the sound both joyous and filled with sorrow.

“She absolutely would.” Sammy chuckled. “She always was a force to be reckoned with.”

“She was.” Henry smiled to himself. “Annette reminds me a lot of her. It’s part of the reason we became friends so fast.”

“I suppose she is quite like Linda.” Sammy nodded slowly, mentally comparing the two. “No wonder you two get along so well.”

“I don’t want her to end up like us.” Henry’s voice became small, the reality of the situation hitting him once more. “I don’t want to have to watch someone else I care about die.”

“She’s not going to die. Not while we have anything to do with it.” Sammy assured him.

For a moment or two, they sat in silence. Then Henry began to cry. Sammy said nothing, continuing to pat Henry’s back. They’d all gone through this when they’d realized they were no longer living. 

“You’re not alone.” Sammy finally said when Henry had stopped crying so hard. “I know that probably isn’t much comfort right now, but I want you to know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been through this and we’re here for you.”

“Everything okay?” Wally stuck his head in. “You’ve been gone a…while…” He trailed off when he saw Henry on the cot. “Oh.”

“He just found out he’s dead,” Sammy explained. “I’m betting Drew said something he probably shouldn’t have.” The disdain in his voice was enough to elicit a small giggle from Henry.

“He would.” Wally rolled his eyes and walked in. A few Lost Ones and Searchers poked their heads in as well, accidentally pushing Susie inside. Susie stiffened upon seeing Henry, trying to stumble back. 

“Hi, Susie,” Henry mumbled from the bed. Susie hesitated, her shoulders hunching.

“…Hello, Henry.” She finally replied. 

“I’m glad you and Sammy are making up.”

“….Thank you.”

“So, you found out we’re dead.” Wally flopped down on the bed beside Henry. 

“I appreciate that you’re probably going to try and spin this in a positive light, but I’m not in the mood for it.” Henry kept his back to Wally. “Nothing can make this better.”

“You’re right. Nothing can make it better.” Wally said. “This sucks.”

“But we’ve got each other at least.” A Lost One piped up. “We might be dead, but at least we’re not all suffering alone.”

“There’s nothing we can do to fix this.” Sammy conceded. “But what we can do is resist Joey and keep resisting until the time we might be able to do something.”

“It’s not perfect down here, but we’re happy.” A Searcher said. 

“We’ve all been through this before.” Sammy continued, gently patting Henry’s back. “You get used to it, horrifying as that may sound. All you can really do is just keep going. If we give up, Joey wins.”

“That’s…That makes sense.” Henry nodded tentatively, slowly sitting up. “Thank you. For, um, trying to make me feel better.”

“No problem.” Wally winked at him. “Now, you wanna play some carnival games with us?”

“Sure. Why not?”


	133. Chapter 133

**[bornoffireandwisdom](https://bornoffireandwisdom.tumblr.com/) asked: The last story with everyone was so good! I loved how they were all cheering Henry up! What if Sammy, Wally, and Susie/Alice, take Henry to play some of the carnival games to help cheer him up some more. (I bet Wally might cheat at the games. Lol 😆) Maybe they even visit Bertram? I don’t think Henry’s met him yet. Meanwhile Joey is in his office and just being all mad and grumpy because he doesn’t understand why Henry was so upset, and what if he sends Shawn, Grant, and Lacie to spy on him? 😱**

Sorry this took so long.

* * *

Together, Wally, Sammy, and Susie headed down to Bendy Hell in order to play some carnival games. Henry was still feeling a little down, although he returned to a mindless Searcher soon after exiting the Lost One’s village. Wally was chattering excitedly about how long it had been since they’d last gone down to Bendy Hell to play the games. 

“Hello, Tim.” Sammy waved to the Lost One sitting on top of a shelf as they descended the stairs to the main floor. Tim waved back, almost seeming to smile through their dripping ink.

“Hey! Maybe we can even open up that area Lacie worked in!” Wally continued. “I always loved that animatronic!” Abruptly, all chatter ceased. 

“Oh. Right.” Wally’s smile faded a bit. Henry tilted his head to the side, making a curious noise. 

“Lacie worked for Bertram,” Sammy explained. “She…never made it to the village. Joey kept her close.” Susie shrunk into herself, the ink on the side of her face beginning to drip. Sammy put an arm around her. Susie stiffened, starting to move away. But then she realized that Sammy wasn’t a part of the hive mind anymore. His ink couldn’t hurt her. 

“Are you alright?” Sammy whispered to her. 

“I’m….fine.” She said slowly, leaning into him. It felt good, having someone hold her again. She’d missed being touched. 

“Hey! Look at this!” Their attention was drawn back to Wally, who’d picked up the three balls from the milk bottle game and was juggling them.

“I forgot I could do this!” Wally beamed. Henry clapped his inky hands together and made excited noises.

“I…Also forgot you could do that.” Sammy started to laugh, the tension of the situation broken by Wally, as usual. 

“Now you’re just showing off.” Susie couldn’t help but smile. Wally just kept grinning.

After that, they moved on to the actual carnival games. As Wally had said, Sammy was surprisingly good at the shooting game. Something about having good hand-eye coordination. A stiff breeze could knock Wally over, which meant the kickback of even a pellet gun like this sent him stumbling back. While Sammy and Susie weren’t looking, he just threw ink at the targets. He’d figured out that he could fire ink from his body, so he did finger guns in order to hit the targets. The ink splotches didn’t escape Susie and Sammy’s notice. 

“Wally.” Sammy folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. Henry giggled, covering his mouth and acting very much like a little sibling whose older sibling had just gotten in trouble. 

“Yeah~?” Wally did his very best to appear as innocent as possible. Susie stifled a giggle. 

“Wally, did you use finger guns instead of the  _actual_ gun?”

“Maaaybe~”

“Wally, that’s cheating.” Susie tried to sound stern, only to devolve into laughter.

“Aw, c’mon.” Wally smiled disarmingly. “There’s no one else here! There’s no rules!”

“There are some rules.” Sammy corrected him. “Although, most of them are related to survival, not games.”

“See?” Wally gestured to Sammy. “It’s fine!” 

Sammy rolled his eyes, trying to hide his smile. “You’re the worst.”

“You love me~” 

“Yeah yeah.”

They spent a little more time playing the carnival games, which Wally continued to cheat at, before Henry wandered over to Attraction Storage, where Bertram resided. 

“Whoa, buddy!” Wally grabbed Henry by the shoulder, pulling him back. “We can’t just go in there unannounced!” Henry tilted his head to the side quizzically.

“He tends to be a bit…grumpy when people show up without warning.” Sammy supplied.

“And he certainly doesn’t like  **me** ,” Susie added. Henry was undeterred by this, slipping under the door and into the ride area. Wally shrugged and did the same. Sammy was about to follow, until he noticed Susie standing back, hunching her shoulders. 

“I…Can’t do what you two can.” She murmured, lowering her gaze. “I’ll just…stay out here.”

“No, I’ll open the doors for you.” Sammy walked over to the door they’d opened with the games. “It’s fine.”

“You don’t have to.” She trailed after him, glancing nervously back at the door to Bertram’s area. 

“Like I said, it’s fine,” Sammy assured her. 

“Well….Alright.”

In Bertram’s area, Henry was looking curiously around. He’d never been in this part before. There was so much to see! Especially the little duck boats.

“Hey, Mr. Piedmont!” Wally called, knocking on the doors on the central column of the ride. 

“Must you be so loud, Franks?” The doors opened, revealing the giant head of Bertram Piedmont. It was an illusion and they both knew it. But Henry didn’t. He immediately made a concerned noise, drawing closer and waving his arms in worry.

“Ah, it’s Mr. Williams,” Bertram said. “Hello.” Henry made even more concerned noises, gesturing to Bertram’s head. 

“Why is he doing that?” Bertram asked.

“I think he’s worried ‘cause you’re just a head,” Wally suggested. 

“Ah. I see. Well, Mr. Williams, I can assure you that I am perfectly alright.” Bertram said. “If you can call being an inky monstrosity alright, that is.” Henry frowned, gesturing to his head and to Bertram. 

“I’m assuming you’re asking why I’m simply a giant head.”

Henry nodded.

“Well, I had hoped it would intimidate Drew,” Bertram replied, bitterness lacing his words. “But that didn’t work.”

“And now he’s stuck in the machine,” Wally added. 

“I most certainly am not.” Bertram snapped.

“Then why haven’t you left this ride?” Everyone’s attention was drawn to the doorway, where Susie and Sammy had just entered. Susie had spoken, falling back into her old Alice ways in an attempt to combat her nervousness. Sammy just shrugged. Bertram stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed.

“Very well.” He finally conceded. “I am…stuck.” Henry made a sympathetic noise, trying to hug the ride.

“I…appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Williams.” Bertram smiled slightly. “You are certainly an affectionate one.”

“He’s a cool guy.” Wally nodded sagely. 

Meanwhile, Joey was sulking like a child. He still didn’t understand why Henry was so upset about being dead. He’d brought Henry back, hadn’t he? So it was fine. Usually, people got praised for bringing people back to life. But nooo. When he did it he was ‘a monster’ and his creations were ‘monstrous affronts to nature’. Why couldn’t Henry understand? He was doing this for  _him_. 

“Shawn! Grant! Lacie!” He barked, and three shapes rose from the floorboards. The Searchers said nothing, staying where they’d risen. 

“Keep an eye on Henry, won’t you?” Joey smiled sweetly. “I’m ever so worried about him. We had a bit of a fight, you see, and I don’t want him doing anything unreasonable in his state.” He didn’t need to put on this act. The Searchers would do as he asked, no matter what. Maybe it was just to convince himself. The three Searchers disappeared into the ground, and Joey sat back, content in the knowledge that he could now keep an eye on Henry.


End file.
